~A Day in the Life at Our House~

Time for Change!

2009-03-30T09:12:00.002-06:00

hello from the long lost!! So many changes and new things have happened in the last month, I have a lot to catch up on!

So since we moved in real life, it only makes sense to move over my cyber world!!

So update your bookmarks and so on, since I will be updating over at the new place from now on. This blog will still be open for archive purposes!

A Day in the Life at Our House....3rd Edition

Be blessed!!

I HEART Salma Hayek!!

2009-02-13T11:10:00.002-07:00

Oh yeah, you knew I would be all over this!!!

My first thought was "It's about time!!" We are so behind in dropping the stigma attached to breastfeeding. I applaud Salma for standing up and doing the right thing!

Now people are talking and breastfeeding is the center of it again.....God bless her for giving warm nourishment to that little baby and hopefully educating the Mama's there (and the Daddies!!) on giving their babies the best possible nourishment possible.

Salma Hayek Breastfeeds a Starving Baby

Back to the craziness and chaos of packing....whew! Almost there!!!

Have a blessed weekend!

How it's Made...Formula!

2009-01-31T10:01:00.002-07:00

Here's an excellent post and it's not at all a bashing post, just facts presented very well.
What's in formula? What's not?

Some people may think I have a hate on for formula...I don't. I do however believe it should fall into the category along with other medical interventions...such as antibiotics. Use with caution and only if absolutely necessary. Having just been through what I went through at the hospital, we have so far to go with building up women to successfully breastfeed. It's very bizarre in the NICU, everyone says "Breast is best...BUT" Everywhere you look is formula labels....the tiny bottles I was given to use...thanks to Ross Laboratories...boxes of Neosure and Enfamil sitting everywhere. Where was all the breastfeeding stuff......tucked away in a back room. Oh sure they have pumps available and the Lactation consultants are absolutely WONDERFUL (I mean they really ROCK!!!)but they're very limited as to what they can do. I mean, they certainly cannot override what the doctor says.

But, where was the signs and pictures of nursing babies in the NICU? They're aren't any. Where's the promotion of that? Nowhere. Most women in there end up feeling as though their breastmilk is inferior and either needs to be supplemented with Human Milk Fortifier (which, BTW, can be done WITHOUT any notice or permission from the parents...they just add it to the breastmilk at their discretion) or the baby needs a 'top up' of formula. *sigh* OK, let's look at Preemies.....they are a very special type of infant, one who is desperately trying to finish the amazing growth outside of the womb that really should be taking place inside of the womb. The rate of growth that happens inside the womb is astonishing....and the doctors are trying very hard to mimic the nutrition that is needed to sustain this rapid rate of growth.

They do that by supplementing the babies with a carefully man-made designer milk, fortified with a careful amount of vitamins and nutrients based on cow's milk (casein), whey and other oils......my issue....THESE ARE NOT NATURAL! They are exposing their tiny guts to cow's milk protein which is KNOWN to cause bleeding in the gut...do you see why I get upset?!?!? Our doctor even freely admitted that they are finding more and more infants are having casein sensitivities in the last 10 years than ever before.

Ugh, I could go on and on....ideally, I would've loved to have seen much more effort being put into helping these mamas believe that their milk is the perfect food for their babies...even if they can't fight the man-made stuff being added. It is so very lonely and difficult pumping for that long, they need support to help them through that and encouragement that it can be done. They need to be educated and reassured....all of which the lactation consultants do, but when the doctor starts the conversation with "Breastmilk is best, but......." it becomes a very difficult situation. Dr.Jack Newman sent me some wonderful info on breastfeeding preemies...as well as some fascinating pictures of young preemies latched on and feeding. Breanna latched on perfectly at just 32w3d and nursed beautifully...like she'd done it all along. So, it can be done!!!

My LC was an absolute dream.......she was so funny and blunt...praise the Lord she's there trying to make a difference and maybe just maybe if she can reach just one mama, another preemie will be able to experience the glorious bonding and nutrition that breastfeeding can offer him/her.

Once again, I thank the Lord for the wonderful gift of being able to breastfeed my daughter...I cherish even more than ever before.

Blessings!!

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm......

2009-01-30T07:34:00.003-07:00

Click on the cartoons to read the relevant info. Whoa! I realize that this is American info, BUT, you can bet it is the same here. We are soooo long over due for changes...I encourage you to go over to Natural News and read up on some of the articles, education is the key to change!!

On the homefront.....cleaning/packing/organizing....every day!! Breanna is changing so much, although not by huge leaps in the size department, but this week she began smiling at us and trying to coo and talk! It's so funny to see because she *looks* like a 6week old baby!!lol I'm so happy that the other day I managed to get Breanna on my back!!Whoohoo!! She loves it there and spends a good portion of the day there, she loves to be able to watch everything that mama is doing and then drifts off to sleep when she's had her fill! This pic was taken on Jan.19th

and here is another of my happy girl:

taken on Jan.24th

Grocery shopping this weekend!! You have no idea how nice it is to be able to put all the kids in the van AND all the groceries...at the SAME TIME! I'm really looking forward to making the trip out to BC this summer if we can (still trying to budget that all in), it will be nice to be able to pack things and have it all fit!lol
Here's a pic of our new family vehicle:(it was taken through the window of our new house)

I will be posting a couple of pics in the habitat blog today and will hopefully have a recipe over in the food blog later today!

Have a blessed day!!

F~R~E~E~Z~I~N~G

2009-01-22T13:50:00.003-07:00

Oh my did the weather change, like within a few hours...brrrrrrr!!

Anyways, just popping in here to let you know there are some updates in the Habitat blog and I have been adding to my new blog (whose debut has been put off...lol)it's coming though!!
Habitat Blog
New Blog

Now it will just be tedious task of re-adding all my links...but on the flip side it will give me a chance to make sure they're all still good!!

Blessings!!

Finding calm in chaos

2009-01-21T09:45:00.002-07:00

have you seen it???? Nah, me neither. I wouldn't mind a few extra hours in a day though, but I guess that would really mess things up globally, now wouldn't it?!?!lol
So, I will make do with the 24 I have.....too bad I need sleep!!lol

Well back to work I go, here's some pics for you!!

Have a blessed day!!!

Updating....again!!

2009-01-17T14:41:00.002-07:00

Goodness, I blink and a week is GONE!!

Great news!!! We are moving at the end of February!!! Praise the Lord, that is so awesome! I'll update more on that and some pics in the Habitat blog later this week.

We are also the proud owners of a 15 passenger van now!!! Another wonderful answer to prayers!! What a lesson in patience that was....we waited 26mos for a vehicle that would fit us all and it is so sweet to have it now!!!

Unfortunately I have so much more to 'talk' about but I need to help *motivate* the big kids into cleaning the basement....so much to do now!!!! YIPPPPEEEEE!!!
(why yes, I am a *little* excited!!)

Oh, you gotta check this out! So very true and absolutely brilliantly done!
~At a meeting of the AARP (American Association of Retired
People) they showed a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20
year old. The contest was Titled 'u @ 50'.This video won second
place. When they showed it , everyone in the room was awe-struck and
broke into spontaneous applause.So simple and yet so brilliant. Take
a minute and watch it.

Have a blessed Saturday!!

Updates!!!

2009-01-10T10:23:00.003-07:00

Happy Saturday my fellow cyber posse!!
Things are going wonderful! I hope everyone had a great New Year and is all geared up for a brand new year!!
This is the first year I didn't make any resolutions..per se. I do have some goals that I would like to accomplish in the next year though!
We have so much going on right now...so please excuse the bullet point updates!

FAMILY:
Everyone is doing good...the Il's, SIL's and us too. SIL is now engaged (Bills sister) to a great guy, so we're very happy for them. They are planning for a wedding in 2010 in the summer. MIL is doing good and has been feeling good as well. My Mama is doing great and and praise the Lord, we are approaching 3yrs sobriety!! I am so very proud of her! My sister is doing really good, they moved back to the city!! Henri is doing great and growing like crazy.....hopefully we'll all be able to see each other in the new year!!
We as a family have been doing really good, everyone is so happy to have Breanna home safe and sound and not have Mama trudging to the hospital every night. We have been really enjoying being an unschooling family......plenty of life lessons the past few months!

BREANNA:
This is one tough cookie, let me tell you! As I said before, she is breastfeeding exclusively after only had the opportunity to nurse a handful of times given the amount of time she was NPO (no food by mouth). This was achieved by my going on a dairy/casein free diet. There is a story that goes along with that and when I have a longer time at the computer I will share it with you...because like the majority of the stories from that experience, they are long! Breanna has a severe allergy to both and hopefully she'll outgrow it, but for now, this is how it is.
She is a doll, but very outspoken! If she is not happy she will yell until it is fixed...which is typically just a feeding or a bum change! She HATES to have anything on her head or her face and will scream if this happens, she also does not like to have her hands/arms restrained in any way (no swaddling!!) she does however, LOVE the wrap! She would happily spend the entire day there and has done so!!
PICS!!!

*Breanna all wrapped up in Elsa *10wks old*

*Breanna 10wks old with her beloved suckie from the hospital*

*Breanna 10wks old....finally her eyelashes have darkened a bit!!*

She is just so precious and I thank the Lord every.single.day for her....I thought for sure when I saw the blood that frightful night, that I was losing my baby girl.

***ETA: This was from last Saturday!!lol***I had intentions on coming back and writing more, but alas, it did not happen that way! But I'll post it anyways!

Happy New Year!!

2008-12-31T08:46:00.002-07:00

Helllllloooooooo!!!
Oh goodness I am sooooo sorry for the super long hiatus...the longest in my 5 year blogging history!! Just thought I'd post uber quick before princess Breanna starts to holler....

we are doing positively wonderful!!
-Breanna is home!!! and is exclusively breastfed...we beat the odds stacked against us!!
-we are DONE our habitat hours
-our house is *almost done*

Oh man, so much to update ya'll on!! I have to run for now, but we are all doing excellent and enjoying the extended newborn stage we have been blessed with!

I'll be back in the new year with pics and stories and updates!!

May the Lord bless you all and here's to health and happiness in '09!!

Happy Monday!!

2008-11-10T08:08:00.003-07:00

Just a quick little update until I have some more time to write a real post.

***THANKYOU TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR WELL WISHES AND PRAYERS*** it is most appreciated!

I have been an emotional wreck lately, although the last couple of days have been a bit easier. This is the most difficult experience I have yet to go through, not to mention the most painful. (both physically and emotionally) I have had to lean on our Heavenly Father immensely, I am so thankful for His mercy.

Breanna is doing wonderfully! She is such a pillar of strength and an amazing little blessing. There is a slight possibility that she might be able to come home this weekend!! Or at least sometime in the next two or so weeks. Right now, she just needs to be able to take all her feedings through the bottle and not need the nasogastric tube at all for a full 48hrs. She has been having trouble with doing back to back bottle feeds as she still gets pretty tired. I think over the next couple of days she'll 'get it' and go crazy and not look back!
Praise the Lord sh nurses beautifully, great latch and will nurse until she is full. I could not ask for anything more! I'm hoping that once she is home and attached to my body that it will come together. I'm very confident it will!!

So after we reach that goal, then we will give the carseat test a go!! I am really confident she will do good. You have no idea how nice it will be to be able to hold her whenever I want and to be her caregiver and not have to ask before touching her........I am soooooo looking forward to that!
I managed to get some preemie clothes off of Kijiji, Bill will be picking them up on Friday! I also made enough from the boys stuff to get two of the swaddling blankies I wanted. Next I am saving up for a diaper bag (I want a pure cloth one with no vinyl stuff) I am hoping to make one, but haven't found the perfect material. I also have my wrap on the way it is a loooong one, so I may hem it and use the fabric to make a bag. We'll see! Then I need to get an organic mattress cover for Breanna's bassinet...the playpen ones. Then of course some yummy bath stuff, I use this stuff on all the kids, so that will be easy. I also need to get some woolies made for her, the newborn one I made will be a little big....mind you all the cloth I have will be big. I may just pick up a pack of organic cotton facecloths and use those for her dipes until she grows a bit!! I will also need to pick up some cloth lined baskets to hold her stuff, hopefully I'll heal up here soon so I can get over to Value Village!!:o)

Well, my time is up on here, breakfast is over and it is time to get the day going!!
PLease pray that I can bring my sweet blessing home this weekend!!!!
~Penny

Announcing our newest arrival.......

2008-11-06T08:56:00.002-07:00

Breanna Isabel Faith
born Oct.25th
weight 4lbs
length 17"

Breanna decided to come early!!lol She is doing good, still in NICU, but hopefully only for a few more weeks!!

I will type up an official birthstory eventually....I endured my very first c-section! Go figure! I suffered a placental abruption which triggered labour to begin and my water to break. Praise the Lord my water broke and Breanna didn't have to be in a womb filled with blood.

Here's kind of a breakdown on what had happened.
Went to bed around 12:45am of the Friday night(oct.24th). A few minutes later it felt as though I was peeing myself and realized quickly that it could not be pee. I jumped out of bed and screamed when I realized that the spot I was lying in was soaked with bright red blood (we have white sheets and I could see in the darkness of our room) Bill jumped and flicked on the light and there I was standing there pulsating blood all over the floor trying to find something to soak it up. Called 911. Paramedics arrived and quickly get to work since I am feeling a little light headed. Off I go in the ambulance, it's 1:25am. (We praise the EMS team for arriving so quickly!!)
Get to the hospital and sent to triage. At this point, the bleeding has slowed and it seems like I am just leaking amniotic fluid and having mild contractions.Within a few minutes it is decided that I will have an emergency c-section and will have to go to the regular OR because of how much blood I had lost (they figure by this point I am close to have losing 3-4L of blood....4cups of that in my bedroom!!)3:15am I am downstairs and getting ready to head in....we are terrified. 3:30am, the alarms start going off as my blood pressure plummets down to 40....38....34....25.....I hear them yell all sorts of codes as my vision and hearing go weird and the anesthesiologist looks over me and says he will give me something and to hold and stay with him. I remember telling God in my head "I promised him I'd be coming out (meaning my hubby) don't you dare take me now!!!! over and over again. Suddenly I feel normal again and I stabilize. Bill comes in just as they're making their cut. 4:01am the yelps of my baby girl echo through the OR!!! I cannot see her, only hear her and I can't believe she's here, exactly 2mos early!!! Off they go with her and my hubby to the NICU. I still have so much they need work on and the freezing begins to wear off (for some reason I metabolize freezing at a crazy rate) the docs don't believe me, but the anaesthesiologist does and tells me he can give me something good to take away the pain and 'remove' me from the situation. I say yes, and WHOA!!! I don't remember too much until the recovery room, where I can feel the worst pain I have every felt before. After three shots of morphine, I can kind of get my head around things. All I want is to see my baby and my hubby, but apparently I wasn't stable enough. Finally, I get wheeled to a room and see my hubby. At 7:45am I climb into a wheelchair to go and see my baby!!
I got to hold her at that time too.

The next few days are the longest I have have ever endured. I looked as though I had been beat up as a hematoma develops in my stomach which causes sever swelling and bruising (my skin was completely purple from the belly button down...my girlie bits were 10 times their original size....all of this without a word of a lie) Slowly but surely I kept walking and getting up (like I wanted to hang out in bed anyways!!lol) My haemoglobin dropped down to 58 (normal is 140) and they want me to have a transfusion. I decline on the basis that I am asymptomatic (my vitals were perfect!!) we agree that I can try to raise my numbers on my own with food and supplements. Then my incision decides to bleed and not stop (like I had any blood left to lose!!!) it just slowly trickles. They can't figure out why and decide that it's from the hematoma and the fluid is just escaping through the closest opening. Then I get severe edema in my legs and feet and develop a rash on them....more cream and stuff. Then I get impetigo on my face (I think from all my crying and nosewiping!!lol) I'm an emotional basket case and cry at anything. The nurses keep joking and saying I should enjoy my 'vacation' away from ALL THOSE KIDS!! UGH!!! I happen to love and enjoy my kids and have never been away from them like this before...I miss them so terribly bad, I can't even talk about now without getting a lump. My family is my life and no one in that hospital seemed to understand that, it was so lonely. I felt as though I had been transferred into a time warp where AP did not exist and everyone relied on medical stuff rather than their bodies. Pump at this time, take this medicine, sleep (but we'll be in here every 10mins for something) eat our disgusting non-nutritious food to get better......unbelievable!!!

I had hubby bring fresh high iron juice from juicer and all my Greens+ supplements including an iron supplement and my Emergen-C. As well as a bag of flax seed bread (THANKYOU to whoever sent that....I was soooooo happy to have that for my pumpkinseed spread toast!!YUMMO!!) the staff poo-pooed my little collection but I knew that my body needed wholesome food to recover, not processed, wilted, crap!

So I am now at home and getting better....so happy to be able to have my juice whenever I want and snuggle my kids. I miss Breanna terribly and hate their protocols, but my goal is to get her home and that seems to happen quicker when they can all have their numbers and volume and all that jazz, so we'll concentrate on breastfeeding when she gets home and I can get her back ontrack. I plan on wearing her topless in a wrap for the daytime and sleeping with her on my chest at night. Hopefully we can re-establish a good latch and she won;t have to have any bottles though. I'm hopeful!!

Thankyou for your prayers!! Also those of you who had emailed me requesting my paypal address it's pennyandbillATshawDOTca (changing the words AT and DOT to the symbols) and I can only accept funded paypal (Nancy, that is why yours wasn't working, try with funded xoxox) since we don't use credit cards ourselves and don't have an American bank acct.

Thank you so much for everything everyone has done. All the blessing we have received have been so very much appreciated! Friends my AP group dropping off meals. a wonderful Friend I met through my mom dropped off yummy meals too. Another sweet friend came by (I swear God sent her that day...I was having such an emotional day) on Monday bearing more good food (she even made sure to include vitamin c and iron rich foods...isn't that sweet?!?!) and the most adorable preemie girl outfits as well as some clothing that her little girl has outgrown. It just totally lifted me, so much so that when Bill had called he said "WOW, you sound so much better. What did you do?!?" LOL!!! Just our heavenly Father taking care of His daughters! ;o)

Time to make my way back to the couch!!! Gotta rest, especially since my incision is still oozing....ugh...I don't have blood to spare! ACK!

God bless,
Penny
PS. I will post pics soon...just have to upload them to the Flickr!

Freaky Friday

2008-10-24T10:26:00.003-06:00

Okay not really, although switching places with my oldest wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Today is crazy, I am pulling from all of my internal resources and prayer. The children are SOOOOOOO grumpy...this is totally not like them. Yes, they fight and argue, but this has been non-stop since 7:42am! They have screamed, yelled, stomped, fought...you name it!
Hopefully things will come down a bit now...I told them all to snuggle up on the couch and order a movie...although I am certain there will be some rumbling over WHICH movie to order...oi!

Tonight I am going out with my Mom. It's her birthday today so I wanted to take her out for a coffee, but first I am going to hit Value Village. The kids would like something for Halloween and I want to scope out some wool and cotton and maybe a pair of maternity pants...since I've discovered that I have no pants!!!lol All I have are capri's!! I have two prs of cotton ones, but they no longer fit!!lol I've posted some stuff for sale on various sites in the hopes to be able to earn some paypal to buy the stuff I need...but the economy is so sad right now and then the exchange rate...ugh! It's awful!!!
I am selling and have sold all my wraps and carriers...(I have two for sale if you're interested!!!) I have sold and am selling cloth diapers (I have a beautiful Berry Plush diaper lot for sale!!) Bill is taking all my itty bitty baby boy stuff to the consignment on Sunday....so hopefully I get a bit back from there!
I am trying to make as much as much as possible, but my time frame is slipping away!!lol
So here's my TO GET FOR BABY LIST:(or rather, a wish list of stuff I *hope* to buy!!!lol)
-clothing (the extent of this list, I don't know...a friend of mine is passing down some of her little girls items...Have I mentioned my love of second hand things?!?!)
-I am hunting for an all cloth Diaper bag, preferably Mama made and girlie
-more wool sweaters for mitts, longies, breastpads etc...everything!!lol
-Aden & Anais swaddling blankies (saving up!!)
-Organic mattress pad for the baby's bed (saving up!!)
-Maruyama wrap (should be able to get her at the end of the month!!)
~~-more cloth pads for me~~
~~-Babylegs for baby~~
~~-wash cloths (I was going to make these, but this turned out to be too time consuming without owning a serger)~~
~~-a couple receiving blankets~~
-herbs for labour and postpartum
-Emergen-C vitamin stuff (for labour and PP)
-1-2 prs of good mat jeans for me (brrrr, it's getting colder around here...capri's don't quite fit the bill!!)
-2-4 more Kissaluvs or AMP's in NB size, but will see.

This list is just some random thoughts.......we'll just have to see what I can come up with!! some I have already got and am awaiting to arrive!!!
I will post pics and stuff when they arrive as well as links to where I got it!!

Well, I'm off to post a long overdue update in the Habitat blog!!!
If any of you Mama's are interested in seeing pics and knowing prices...send me a line!! I accept funded paypal only, but all my prices include shipping (to USA and Canadian addresses only) and all prices are USD if you're in the US and CAD if you're here in Canada!! If you're on my Flickr, you can see pics there!!
email me at:
mama26blessingsATyahooDOTca (changing the DOT and AT to the symbols!!)

So Do You Wanna Know?????????????

2008-10-11T15:31:00.002-06:00

Because I know what we're having!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First here's a couple of pics:

*two little eyes and two little fists*

*right foot*

*side profile of the face*

*fingers and thumb*

Welllllll, I suppose I could tell ya'll..........................

It's............

a.........................

G-I-R-L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolutely, without a doubt!!!

Sooooooo, I have been cleaning out all the BOY stuff I had put together and organized!!LOL I decided I will have Bill take it to a consignment store and the money I receive from that I will in turn go and get some girl stuff I need. Since I had only kept a small box of cute little girl sleepers and had over 4 large boxes (the 77L Rubbermaid bins, I think) of BOYS stuff. So I was right in the very beginning...DOH!!! Should've stayed with that gut feeling....but the morning sickness totally through me off this time around.

The bummer part.....my placenta is still within 1cm of my cervix, so I will have to go back in 5-6 weeks again to see if it has shifted upwards with some growth occurring in the uterus over the next few weeks. I'm a little concerned because although this has occurred with all my previous pregnancies, it has ALWAYS been far up and away from the cervix by this point in time. If it hasn't moved at my next scan....it's c-section. Ugh, I am really praying hard on this one. I really do not want to be healing from a c-section, having Christmas, packing and getting ready to move, AND all the typical newborn/postpartum stuff. Please pray if you feel led...I really want to have a nice, easy normal natural birth. Really, really badly. I don't want to be stuck in the hospital for 3 days and dealing with nurses and doctors.

Well, time to get back to tidying the kitchen and getting ready for Thanksgiving Dinner....pies to bake and dishes to wash!! It's going to be just us, with us fighting this stupid cold/virus thing I just felt it was best to have a quiet dinner.

~*HAPPY THANKSGIVING*~ to all my Canadian friends and family!!
May the Lord continue to bless us all!!

It's Tuesday.........

2008-10-07T08:39:00.002-06:00

My brain is a little warped so I couldn't think of a better title....other than the obvious!

Sorry I haven't updated for awhile, it has been so busy around here that the days are gone before I can blink!
I will update house stuff in the other blog sometime this week.

As for other doings around here:
We seem to have a chest cold floating around (like the rest of the city!!lol) so far it has hit Bill and Alex, both whom cough and hack all night...as if I didn't have enough trouble sleeping! Finally at four this morning I gave Alex the jar of Vicks and told him to cover the soles of his feet with it...voila!! I really should've done that earlier. Man, does that work like a charm! If only I could get Bill to do that!!lol I'm hoping this virus steers clear of me!! I have not one spare second to waste on a virus!!

Oh, I had some fluffy mail arrive the other day!! I ordered some Unbleached Indian prefolds for both Matthew and the new babe. I also ordered a couple tiny ones for the baby and some Bummis wraps in newborn size. Here's the pic:

I already have a good stash of newborn/infant dipes, but I wanted to try out some different fitteds and needed a couple more covers.

Here's my latest food loves...(gimme a break I'm preggers, food is a very big part of my life right now!!!LOL)
NEWEST SMOOTHIE CONCOCTION:
*~Berry Blaster~*

The Final Product:

My Twice a Month Treat:

~Baked Potato Supreme!!

I have been busy doing crafts as well, trying to see what kinds of things I can make with recycled materials. Here's what I have thus far....

~Matthew needed a bigger blankie for his bed so I used up some wool sweater material, an old flannel sheet and some pantlegs from some corduroy pants that didn't fit Bill. I still have a bit more to finish on it, but this gives you an idea!

Next is my Mama sized cloth pads. I refuse to use disposable pads after the babe is born and wanted to make something big and absorbant for me, especially during the first week. Blech!! I have been trying all different types of patterns, this is what I have thus far:

I am hoping to make at least 9 more and then some smaller sized ones as well.

Also on my crafting and sewing list to do:
~Felted Wool Bag
~Felted wool mitts and socks
~More wool longies for new babe
~finish up new babes recycled blankie (I'll post picks asap)
~get started on Christmas presents (I'm making each child their own pillowcase and then filling it with handmade treats for them.(jammies, a book, soft wool doll for the littles, felted wool hairclips, I-Spy travel bags etc)
~Make each child their recycled Denim stocking

In other words, I really need to hit Value Village ASAP!!!! I need some old jeans, old flannel sheets, old wool sweaters and glass jars.

Well time to get moving...laundry awaits as does various science projects and a good book (Alyssa is really enjoying her Little House on the Prairie books). I also need to get another belly pic done....I'm already 29W3D and I haven't done my 28W pic yet..(too busy taking pics of food!!!lol) Oh YEAH!!!!! Ultrasound is this Friday!! WHOOHOO!!! 3 more sleeps!! We decided that since no one is allowed in there with me (we'll have three little ones with us and their rooms are just too small) I am going to have the technician write the gender on a piece of paper and then I will open it when we get home so that we can all find out at the same time as a family!!!

Have a blessed Tuesday!!
~Penny

Recipes, Answers and Updates!!

2008-09-29T09:24:00.002-06:00

UPDATES

Went to the drs on Friday, here's the stats!
weight: 131 lbs (total:31 lbs)
Blood pressure: 107/64
measuring: 29 weeks
babes HB: 142
I go for my second ultrasound on October 10th....maybe this little bean will co-operate!! Although, I have been going along as though it's a BOY!!lol
She mentioned that I should start booking my appointments for every 2weeks...I told her nope. I said that if I felt something wasn't right, I'd be sure to come in. In the end, she said alright. I also haven't gone for my Gestational Diabetes test yet....got a teeny lecture about that since they're sticky about it and want the test completed between 26 and 27week and no later than 28weeks. I'm not going to be losing sleep over trying to get there to get the test done.

RECIPES
*Honey Blemish Treatment*
1.soak a cotton ball in a saltwater solution and then hold on blemish for around 3min
2.dab honey onto blemish and let sit for about 15min
3. rinse with warm, then cool water
The saltwater will gently dissolve the tip of the blemish and allow the honey to penetrate and do it's work!! Honey is soothing and antibacterial!

*Vinegar Toner*
1 tbsp of APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
1 cup of distilled water
I use this as a toner after a shower or if my face could use a little pick-me-up
Store in a glass container and do not rinse. Depending on use this amount can last about 2weeks.

*Parsley Splasher*
1 large handful of fresh parsley
2 cups of boiling hot water
put the parsley into a bowl and dump the boiling water over it. Allow to cool and then strain. Pour the lovely green liquid into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Keep in the fridge if you like for a WAKE UP in the morning!! Apply to face with cotton pads or put in a spritzer container and spritz on your face whenever you'd like!! I haven't had any issues with the greeness!!lol

*MAC 'n' CHEESE*
I didn't use any measurements so bear with me!!
-in a med sized pot add:
about 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of flour and some diced onion and garlic (or just use powder if you have people who do not like chunks of onion)
mix on med-high heat until you have thick, gooey mixture...don't burn it otherwise it will have a bitter taste!!!
-then add to the mixture about 1-1 1/2 cups of milk (or cream, the higher the fat content the richer your sauce will be..I use 18% and I've also used 2% milk with no real difference in taste)whisk until you have a thick white sauce.
-add about 2 handfuls of your favourite shredded cheese and stir until it is all melted and you have a yummy cheesy sauce!!
-add your pasta of choice and coat those noodles in the yummo sauce.
You can add roasted veggies sliced or diced, ham, tuna..whatever!! have fun creating a yummy dinner!!
WARNING: this is a very filling meal, especially if you use whole wheat pasta, but it is delicious!!

*SMOOTHIES*
ahhh, the nectar of health and wellness.......
This is where you can be ever so creative!! There is no right or wrong way!!
The one in the pic below was
4 lemons
4 oranges
1 small handfull of parsley and spinach
tbsp of Raw Honey (to sweeten it a bit)

You can whisk a raw egg in there, I love that...I just don't do that while I'm pregnant. I simply just wash the eggshell before cracking and throw it in. I have been doing that since my early teen years!
You can add soy protein powder, yoghurt for some calcium as well. I typically just stick with fruit and veggies because I drink a lot of milk (I can make rice, almond and soy milk with my juicer too!!!) and eat a lot of yoghurt regularly already.
Thus far, my favourite is berries, spinach, carrots and parsley...YUMMO!!
If you add a banana, the taste takes on a totally banana flavour and thickens a bit.

BTW, you can do all of this in a blender...I just really wanted a juicer because I am a wimp and HATE pulp and really thick drinks!!LOL

Cloth diapers........
Ok here's the ultimate wash method I have found...
first, take all your diapers and wash them in HOT water until the water looks fairly clear after swishing. You m ay need to do this a few times.
Dry as you normally would (high heat in the dryer or on the line)
Now in your diaper pail, sprinkle some baking soda and some Borax in the bottom. I use a combo of a wet/dry pail. The night before it's diaper wash day, I fill the bucket with cold water (my diaper wash days are about every 2 days) and let 'em soak all night. I then dump the bucket into the washer and put it on spin.
I then put it on regular wash, on hot, and add a small scoop of
Claudias Choices and let it go!
Here are some tips I've learned along the way...
*do not use any soap that has any type of plant based oils in it. This will put a coating on the diapers and not allow them to clean.
*If you're having trouble with homemade stuff, switch to just baking soda for awhile. You can add a cupful of white vinegar to the rinse cycle if you'd like. See if that helps. Baking soda and the odd scoop of Borax will do the trick just fine!
It's what I've used when I don't have any Claudia's Choices.
I typically do a strip on the dipes about once a month or so or sometimes I just skip any soap and just use baking soda every few washes to prevent any buildup. It's buildup that will cause them to not works as well, clean as well or smell most of the time!

Well time to get back to cleaning and organizing and the dailies around here...it smells as though Matthew has a treat waiting for me in HIS dipe!!lol
Have a blessed Monday!!

Mish Mash of Mush 'n' Muddle

2008-09-23T08:18:00.003-06:00

I'm still working on the other blog, I was hoping to make the switch over there by the middle of this month, but of course as per the usual...that hasn't happened!lol

We have been just so busy lately. I have been cleaning out like crazy and have a donation pickup coming next week. Which is great, however that is a week away!!!lol My house is a disaster with bags and boxes everywhere! I was originally going to Freecycle it all, but honestly it is just too much and I don't have time to deal with people who can't be bothered to show up or whatever.

Anyhoo, onto to other happenings....
We had Kayla's birthday celebration on Sunday evening. She had requested that I make her cake and was very specific as to how it should be! I used vanilla pudding/custard mix for the center to cut down on the sweetness. I figured everyone would be on a food coloring rush and didn't need the added bonus of excess sugar too!!lol!! Here's the pic:

Speaking of food.....
Here's what was for breakfast yesterday:

Refreshing and high in vitamin C...I also put some ginger and garlic in there as well!!
Here's what was for dinner:

Tuna casserole with a twist!! I made a yummy cheese sauce from scratch (I'm trying very hard to eliminate the fluorescent stuff from our diet) and mixed in tuna. We also grilled up asparagus, tomatoes, green and red peppers, and carrots. It was DELISH!!

Next up....
In my Babywearing group a gal posted this link all about babywearing in 1963. It was just so cool to see a glimpse of what it was like back then and that YES babywearing truly has been in North America for quite some time and is not something new!! :o)

Last on the list of updates...
The Used Toy and Clothing sale was on Saturday and it was good turnout!! I managed to sell a lot of outgrown stuff and stuff that just doesn't get worn. Now, with the money I made (well some of it...I *did* buy a carseat and a ton of baby BOY sleepers, two blow up beds for the little ones, and a few other things) and the money I am hoping to make from selling off a wrap, I will be getting some stuff for the boys who need some clothing and some winter stuff.

Oh and also for an update...
I have been on a mission to rid myself of chemicals and have been trying out more natural methods. So here's a list of what I've done thus far and then a list of what is next on the list.
NEW METHODS
-I've gone completely *NO POO* for myself and Matthew (and the baby will be too)!
I'm still trying to figure out the best method of keeping my ends from drying out.
I've started this in the past and then chickened out, but now I'm fully on board!
I found this over at
Crunchy Domestic Goddess it was the post that actually got me back on track!!
-No skin care products. I haven't ever been one to really use much on my face. I went through a Dove phase a couple years ago.....but, for the most part I never used much of anything because my skin would freak out. Now, I've found a method!
-baking soda scrub every few days...typically my hair wash day
-Honey Blemish Treatment on whatever little blemish rears it's ugly head
-Parsley rinse every few days
As a daily treatment...NOTHING!
-No toothpaste, just good 'ol baking soda, been doing that for awhile. The kids aren't too fond of it so I get them a fluoride free (much to my dentist's dismay..hehe)cinnamon paste
-No deodorant. I'm a lucky one and have never been a sweater and when I do, it rarely smells, so this is an easy one for me. If I am going out, I will use a chemical free deodorant (as do two of the kids who have obviously inherited their fathers perspiration) or a light dusting of baking soda!

in all honesty, baking soda is a lead star in this house now. I use it in laundry, cleaning, on my skin (you should try it and see just how beautifully soft your skin is after a Baking soda scrub!!!)...really, it can replace almost any chemical!
The lead supporter is vinegar, for cleaning and laundry it's top notch. Don't use it in your hair though.....only use Apple Cider Vinegar on your hair!!

So, baby steps!! It's such a long haul eliminating unnecessary stuff from your home, diet and life. Bill wants us to go even further and eliminate Made in China products....I haven't got that far yet on my list!!lol On the other hand, I am very excited to see him on board and showing interest!! He's still not quite ready to give up his deodorant or toothpaste and is thoroughly disgusted over my love affair with my juicer...but he's doing well! I just have to remember that this is a complete overhaul and it will all take time, some adjustments are easier and other's are more difficult.

I'm off to do a quick update at the Habitat blog and then I am off to get laundry going and hopefully make some newborn sized wool longies!! If anyone would like the recipes from above, leave a comment and I will post them!!!

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!!!!

2008-09-15T09:38:00.002-06:00

Well, Miss Kayla is officially 6yrs old today!! Although it feels like yesterday that I just gave birth to her!! She came out in a mad dash when she was ready. Giving me true "real" contractions at 7:35am....I sent Bill to go get his Mom after the next one at 7:41am...he left and I continued to contract...they were about 5min apart until 8:05is and then BAM!! 3min apart and I couldn't stand, talk or walk through them. In fact I was moaning and the older kids were following me around mocking me!!lol Bill arrived home and we left the house at 8:20am...the entire ride Bill was doing close to 120km and begging me not to let my water break in the van!!lol They continued at 3min apart and every once in awhile they would be 2min apart.
We pulled into the parking and Bill went to get a wheelchair for me, when he came back to the van and opened the door I was in the middle of peaking in a double contraction and was being loud apparently...lol....we were in underground parking so my moaning echoed and people across the way shouted if everything was alright..Bill shut the door on me!!(this is such a funny story for us now...at the time I could've killed him!!!lol)We got to triage and I was assessed...the nurse said "you're 7-8cm and bulging!!!!" ACK! It was 8:40am. They managed to get me into a room of sorts, throw me on a bed (literally) strap some oxygen on my face and then my water exploded (I just missed Bill, but the hit the wall....and there was Meconium staining!!!lol) and then I yelled..."I am pushing...N-O-W" and in one big long push out came Kayla at 8:46am!! She was perfect and a healthy 7lbs 6ozs and no problems. She screamed and screamed at them until she was nestled in my arms and took to the boob like a pro. We were home by 6pm that night...it was perfect! Crazy, but perfect.

My birthday was good too on Friday!! I'm officially in a new decade of life...I'm looking forward to my 4th decade, I have a good feeling about my 30's! ;o)
I think it's a good stage of life and I'm happy to have been blessed as I have been!
My awesome children made me a super delicious birthday cake from scratch

It was so yummy!!!! Thankyou guys!!!
My Mom got me a juicer for my birthday......it is my new love.
I have been loving the creations I have been able to make and it's so awesome because I hate fruit (I am a veggie girl) but I don;t mind fruit as a juice or a smoothie. It's been absolutely amazing how wonderfully fabulous I have been feeling!!
Today I was adventurous and made a smoothie with this:

YUMMO!!
Fresh Organic spinach, parsley, carrot, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and grated ginger. The I add: grated Flax seed and my
Greens+
This is what I had after:

Of course, it looks kinda funky, but it's very smooth and so Delicious! I put it in the freezer while I clean up my juicer. I think using either frozen fruit or almost frozen would be ideal.

Well, I have a ton to do this week and I suppose I should get started!! I plan on posting an update in the Habitat and the Homeschool blogs this week.(psssst! If you are a friend/family on Flickr, you can take a sneak peek at the pics!!lol)

I'll wrap this up with a belly pic on my 30th birthday...sentimental because I will never be pregnant on my 30th birthday again!!;o)

It's Monday, It's September...............

2008-09-08T11:53:00.002-06:00

So it has been a bit of a crazy morning...well, pretty much every morning is crazy here in some sort of way!lol

We had a really nice weekend, just an easygoing, relaxing time. Bill went and did hours on Saturday, while I hung out with the kids watching them build with K'Nex and did laundry. Sunday, we all just did the pretty much the same thing except that Bill was here all day and helped the kids with some of the K'Nex stuff (totally not my area of expertise!!lol). It was just calm and peaceful, the way life should be.

Alyssa decided as well on Sunday that we needed to go through each of the girls' toy bins and clean them out again....well who am I to disagree?!?! We're still slowly making our way through it all today as well. I hope there will be a donation pickup in our community soon!! Gah! I have boxes all over my house! Some are actually our stuff packed and ready to go, but most of it is stuff I am getting rid of!lol
I am thinking if there isn't a pickup by the end of the month or so, I will Freecycle it all, but I don't know yet.

Friday, I officially join the 30's club!!! Whoohoo!! In reality, it's just another day in my mind!!lol I'm pretty sure my Mom is getting me a Juicer for my birthday!! I am so excited about that.....then I'll be able to make some yummy smoothies much easier!! Next on my list is a food dehydrator!
After we move and get a garden going, I plan on doing some canning...but that's a ways off yet.

So, let's see this week.....hmmmmm, not much really! Doing some more fall cleaning and organizing. Everyone tried on their winter stuff and everything fits!! I just need to get Mariah some snowpants. We'll tackle the boots maybe this week and see what the situation is with hats/gloves/scarves.
Then, I want to try to find some time to make some wool longies in newborn size!! But, we'll see. Then this weekend should be a repeat of this past weekend!
I will probably sit down and do my menu's and grocery list this weekend once I find out what the specials are after Saturday, since grocery shopping is Monday as is Miss Kayla's 6th birthday!!!

well, I best get going. The kids are finishing up some yummy homemade vegetable beef soup with lentils and homemade multigrain bread and will be wanting to get outside!!
Have a blessed Monday!

The Magic of Milk....Mama's Milk that is!!!!

2008-09-06T09:33:00.003-06:00

Ok, so we know that breastmilk is a nutritionally complete and perfect food...BUT did you know that breastmilk can also be used for many other things?? Yes my friends this is true!
Check this out HERE!!

I have used breastmilk to effectively treat pinkeye, bum rashes, skin irritations, soothe sore ears and to help clear stuffy noses!! I challenge any formula to preform like THAT!

Breastmilk truly is...LIQUID GOLD!

Have a blessed Saturday!!

ThirteenThankful Things for Thursday :o)

2008-09-04T09:24:00.003-06:00

Here's my list.....I haven't done one of these in awhile!
They are in no specific order by the way!

1.my husband. I am so very thankful for him each and every day. I love to take care of him and in turn be taken care of by him. He makes my heart sing and I love being so close to him and hearing his heartbeat and warmth against me. He is my very best friend and I adore him!
2.my children. Each of them are such amazing people with such amazing personalities. They bring me so much joy each day and make me laugh more often than not. I love my time with them and can't imagine not having one of them here, each one has completed the family in a different way. They help me to re-think my actions and keep me grounded with reality...yet take me back to that special place of childhood regularly!
3.pregnancies. Yup, I am thankful for the ability to conceive naturally and have easy pregnancies. I am thankfully for each and every pregnancy I've had, even the ones I lost. I am thankful for being able to BE pregnant, it is a gift and one I treasure. As well as the ability to birth naturally and have fairly easy deliveries, another wonderful gift!!
4.a home. This house that we are building through Habitat for Humanity is a dream come true. Honestly, there are no real words to explain what a difference this is going to make in our lives. The security and stability that owing your own home offers is going to be such a huge relief. Living in a home that we don't have worry will be taken away for various reasons (high rent, landlords changing their minds..fill-in-the-blanks)It is an answer to our prayer of many, many years!
5.breastfeeding. While I believe that the vast majority of women have the ability to breastfeed, there are a few that cannot due to mastectomies or other serious health problems. I am thankful that I am not one of them and can breastfeed my babes without much problems!! Another true gift to treasure!!
6.the ability to homeschool my kids. I am so very blessed to be able to stay at home and offer my kids an alternative to *school*, one that I feel is the best choice for them and offers them the greatest flexibility to learn the way children are designed to learn.
7.being a mommy. I am living my dream right now, I am right where I wanted to be from as long as I can remember. I am so thankful for being a Mama, it is the most rewarding job and is so much better than I could have ever imagined. The days are long and some days are downright crazy, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!!
8.the ability to make things. Sewing, cooking, baking, crafts and gardening....I am thankful for the resources and ability to be able to do these things.
9.French Vanilla coffee. yes, I could not leave this one out!!
10.weekends. I am thankful that Bill doesn't have to work on weekends (well, normally...lol...with the house building him or I are working every Saturday!!)
11.harvest spice scented potpourri. Yummo!!!
12.my love of organizing and cleaning. A very good trait to have with a large family!!lol ;o)
13.A loving, forgiving, understanding, Heavenly Father who knows me inside and out and answers my prayers accordingly...sometimes yes and sometimes no. Who has blessed me in abundance and shown me patience and forgiveness. Who continues to help shape me into a better person each and every day. Who even though at times I have felt alone, is right there beside me as I walk through turmoil and learn from that experience.

Have a blessed Thursday Everyone!!!

Hurray!!!! It's FINALLY September!!!

2008-09-03T08:53:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I'm little happy!! lol I wait all year for this time of year...September 1st until December 31st are my absolute favourite time!!
Hot chocolate, cinnamon buns, pumpkin pie, fresh bread baking, the leaves changing, the coolness in the air, warm fuzzy clothing....I could go on and on!!lol
I've switched my menus over to our fall/winter selection, I've switched out the clothing and have taken inventory on who needs what for the fall/winter. Thankfully, everyones winter jackets fit...just have to try the boots on everyone. Next on my list is the furnace filter and to clean out the windows/wash the curtains before it get's to cold. I think I will just pack up the curtains that are mine and put back up the rental ones (I HAD to have my Sunflowers in the kitchen and my sheers in the living room).

Bill went and registered me for the Used Toy and Clothing Sale...I have two tables again, especially since I am hoping to sell out my entire stock of all seasons worth of clothing. The sale is on the 20th of this month!! Whoohoo!!!

Here's a 24 week pic for ya'll!! I can't believe we're here already!!

Doctors Update

2008-08-29T11:16:00.002-06:00

well, we're back! Good grief that was a long appointment! My fam doc has always just copied all my medical info from my previous births onto a new file...but not this place. Oh no, they had to had everything firsthand, so I had to sit and go through my entire medical history, every pregnancy/labour and birth. Good thing I haven't had a lot of complications! They didn't seem too pleased with my stance on being induced since I have been labeled as precipitous (fast labours). I said I am certain that the minor complications I had with my last two were a direct result from being induced and that I didn;t feel that this being my 7th labour that Pitocin was a good option for me due to the increased risk of Uterine Rupture. Apparently doctors do not like being told medical stuff back to them! We'll see what happens...I told them I would rather *risk* a homebirth than risk complications due to an induction.

Anyways, onto the details!
Ultrasound was great, baby is perfect, placenta is low and we will be going for another one at 30weeks.
Weight:126lbs (total thus far at 23W6D is 26 lbs)
Blood Pressure: 111/68
Baby's heartbeat:156
measuring: at 25wks
Other than that, not much else. I am supposed to go for the GD screen during my 26th week. Another test I am kind of against for me, since I am not at risk and have never had issues before.*sigh*

Anyways, got to get back to getting things organized and then it's off to get groceries tonight! Oh, but first I will post pics in the homeschool blog!!
Blessings!!

Recalled!!

2008-08-28T09:37:00.004-06:00

ok, so many of my Canadian readers are already well aware of the massive meat recall going on right now. Some of the meat has been tested and has resulted in testing positive for Listeriosis Maple Leaf Foods has expanded the recall to include the majority of it's deli/sandwich meat as a safety precaution.

All of the meat in my fridge was recalled (I used Bologna, Ham and Turkey breast in Bill's lunches). In a strange coincidence, I had already been in the process of revamping our eating habits to reflect a healthier approach to our diet....cutting out processed meats was next on the list!!
Yes, we did consume some of the meat before we knew it was recalled, I am trusting the Lord completely that he will keep us healthy and safe...especially this little bean in my tummy. No one has exhibited any symptoms of any kind, so I am praying.

So, I got a major shove into creating better lunches, mostly for Bill. Thankfully he enjoys other types of sandwiches. Our new food list NO-NO's are:
*NO processed sandwich meat of any kind
*NO hot dogs (we only ate these about once every month or so)
*NO pizza meat or pepperoni sticks (homemade jerky as soon as I can get my hands on a food dehydrator!!)
My goal of no processed foods has been pushed into full gear, my challenge is going to be to buy and prepare as much of our food as possible. We had already been on our way in this direction, but now it's in full force.
It means a lot more work on my part for some things, but in all honesty the health and well being of my family is worth every bit of it. I am positive that with time, these changes will become second nature just as the other changes have.
I REALLY wish Bill could start hunting again (ethically and legally for all my vegan, animal lovers) One deer or elk lasts us all year and supplies all of our meat and oh my stars do I miss venison!!!YUMMO!! Unfortunately, back when we were in serious financial crisis (when Bill had hurt is back and was unable to work or do anything) he sold his stuff....I wish we could've hung onto his gear. *sigh*

Well, time to get back to the day. We received all of our homeschool stuff yesterday so we've been busy organizing!! I'll post tomorrow with some pics of all our goodies, as well as an update from my doctors appointment tomorrow. got to go grocery shopping tomorrow night as well. Then it's the LONG weekend...WHOOHOO and we are in SEPTEMBER!!! Yipppeeee!!!

Have a blessed Thursday!!

Money..Money....Money

2008-08-26T09:40:00.004-06:00

Do you love it or hate it?
Is your relationship with your money a healthy one? Do you know what a healthy financial relationship IS???

Like a lot of Mama's, I am in charge of the finances and believe that it is my job as a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) to be smart with the money that comes in and be a good steward with it. I take my job very seriously and feel a great sense of trust that my my husband has entrusted me with this job. I'm not an expert..by ANY stretch! I make mistakes and so does hubby...we're still learning!
What I have learned, especially as money becomes more and more scarce and times are getting a bit harder, is to have a healthy relationship with our money. Money needs love and nurturing just as any other family member, it needs tending and understanding. Don't hate it and don't obsess over it, either one is going to cause more pain than necessary. Be thankful for what you have...I'm very serious about this one!! Look around your house and be thankful for each and everything you have.

Don't try to spend more than what you have, this will eat you alive. Credit cards and debt will devour your soul...i know this sounds crazy but it's true. If you have racked up your credit cards it keeps you awake at night!! If the Lord has provided you with an income, LIVE WITHIN THAT INCOME!!!
It might mean that you cannot have certain things...or better yet, you must save for those items.

Realize your WANTS and NEEDS and be honest. This is tough, we live in a society that is constantly bombarding us with media that tells we NEED this or that. It's simply not true. We NEED food, we NEED clothing and shelter. What kinds of items fulfill these needs is where it gets murky. Do we NEED designer clothing? Do we NEED big fancy houses? Only you can decide, but I urge you do think long and hard about it...you'll be surprised!

Find joy and happiness in your friends and family, in the end, they're the ones who'll really matter. You're far richer in the time you invest than the money you generate!!!

Look at your current finances and decide if you're living above and beyond what you can afford, if you are, then it's time to make changes. You'll feel so much better emotionally and physically. It's tough at first, but after awhile, it really becomes second nature and you will just feel so much better!!
There are many resources available to help you and some of them are even free!
Find what works for you!
For us living without credit cards has been difficult at times (only because of stupid stores who REQUIRE them as proof of identity...like Blockbuster!) but for the most part, it's been a huge relief!! If we need something, we save...sometimes it takes all year!! But it's worth it. I've noticed we have a much higher appreciation for the item after we've worked hard to save up for it, rather than stressed and worked hard to PAY IT OFF. KWIM?!?

Just some random thoughts for you on this Tuesday morning!!
Be blessed!!!
Other Random Thoughts
Learn With Clara about cooking during the depression(I found this link from Maggie's site in the comments section...ooooh what a treasure this is!!!)

Busy, busy...............

2008-08-22T19:22:00.002-06:00

I know it's surprisingly hard to imagine! I have decided it's time for a fresh new blog, of course I'll post here when I make the move with a link of course!!lol
If you would like a sneak peek check out HERE!!

Today I spent some time adding blogs to my bloglist over there...I discovered that it has been a really...reeeaaalllyyy long time since I last visited some of you and you have moved!!!ACK! I haven't decided if I will keep the template I have there or change it to the 3 column one like I have here....we'll see!

Not much on the go this weekend, we're taking it easy and I will probably start some of my fall/winter cleaning...just minor stuff. The kids talked me into going through their fall/winter clothes last night, so we'll have to finish folding and putting that stuff away. Bill will be earning hours tomorrow doing some work at a different housing complex from Habitat.

What's going on in your neck of the woods?
Well, best be going...the children are snacking on ice cream for dessert and they tend to get a bit messy....ya know, just a bit!!lol

Blessings!!!

Anniversary Week

2008-08-18T08:11:00.003-06:00

Well, yesterday Bill and I celebrated 12 years of marriage! It's funny because it feels like we've been together forever, he is such a a part of me. Yet, it feels as though it was just yesterday we were married!lol We didn't do anything (other than earn our sweat equity hours) and we didn't buy each other anything. I don't care for jewellery at all (yes, it's true...I don't like diamonds and would actually be sad with a diamond ring or earrings!!lol Honestly!!) and we just have so much on the go right now with trying to earn our hours, but that's okay, we know in our hearts that it was our special day and that is all that matters.

It's an amazing thing, I am so blessed to have him for my husband and truly love him more and more each day. He is hard working and would do anything for us. He and I can have a conversation with no words at all, we know when one of us needs something and what that is. Sure we have our disagreements and spats, but we just shrug them off and let it go. We have mastered the art of compromise, which any of you who have been married for any length of time knows how vital that is!! Our needs as individuals are just as important as the other and we realize that. Sometimes his need for something is greater than mine and other times, I need more. We have realized that any relationship requires time, love, patience, understanding and it is constant. Like a garden, if you neglect it, it will wilt away.
He keeps me level and is always there to bring me back when I get all worked up and I am there to give him a boost when he slips off pace...we truly complete each other and for that I thank the Lord for my sweet husband, best friend, soulmate, and life long companion. I Love you!!

The next anniversary is not as happy, but one that I must contend with each and every year. Aug.21st will mark the 13th anniversary of my father's passing.
That day is also the day that Bill and I *officially* began dating one year earlier.

I can't believe we're down to the last two weeks of 'summer' here, WHOOHOO!!! Today is supposed to be gross and hot (something like 35 degrees Celsius and will feel like 40 degrees Celsius....there is a Fahrenheit converter at the bottom of my blog!!) it's been pretty hot and humid the last couple of days and the only thing that keeps me from really going mad, is the fact that I know in just a week or two, these temps will be gone. Actually, I could even place fair bet that these next few days will be it...sure we will have a day or two here and there in September, but that's easier since it will drop so quickly come evening. In two weeks it will be a long weekend and that will also be the weekend we do a fall/winter clothing switch! Time to start getting ready for the Used Toy and Clothing Sale..it's Sept.20th! It will be last one, so I plan on selling off summer/spring stuff as well. Lot's to do!!

well, time to go put summer heat plan of attack into action...gotta go around the house and close up the windows and lower all the fans.....ugh A/C would be sweet today!!

have a blessed Monday!!!

Thinking of Going Organic......Here's the Lo Down

2008-08-16T08:52:00.002-06:00

I, personally, do not need to be convinced of the goodness of organics. To me, it's just common sense really, I wouldn't eat pesticides/herbicides why would I eat food that has been bathed in it? Don't even get me started on GMO's!!! It's mind boggling at times and even downright confusing more times, but us as consumers really need to be conscientious about our buying habits and what we are putting in our bodies.
Of course cost is a HUGE factor, trust me I'm SO THERE with you, but remember, the more people who buy organic the more the price will come down. Yup, I wish a bit more quickly too!! Not to mention that it would be helpful if manufacturers would make JUMBO sized packages!!!lol By the time I buy enough crackers let's say, to feed my guy's I've paid a disgusting amount of money!!!!

Here's some more really good info:
12 things you don't have to buy organic

Have a blessed Saturday!!

Heard in My House Today and it's only 8am

2008-08-15T08:03:00.002-06:00

Mariah crying: "Mommy, Robbie called me pouty McPoutpants"

Mariah: "you doornog, your shirt is on the wrong feet"

Alyssa: "MOOOOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYYY there are Rice Krispies in my hair"

We slept in, the kids are SPUN.OUT, groceries are supposed to be arriving, and I have to get things ready for our evening tonight. The sheer volume inside my house right now is enough to make your brain spin inside her head. They are fighting, yelling, arguing and then running to me to tell me all about it. So, I did what any normal mother who hasn't had her morning coffee would do...........I ran to my room and jumped on my computer to tell my cyber friends all about it!!!lol How did my ancestors ever survive?!?!?

Alright, now that I have had a few deep breaths, said a prayer and begged my heavenly Father to have mercy on me...I must face the day...............

God bless, Penny

Survey Says..............................

2008-08-14T20:03:00.003-06:00

Boy or Girl?????

Wellllllllllllllll, what do you think??

*~SPINE~*

*~BabyFace~*

~*Perfect Little Foot*~

Well, this baby is modest!!lol He/She kept his/her thighs tightly closed and would not give us a peek at all. For a brief second I thought I saw boy parts, but it could've been the umbilical cord. Bill announced just before we went in that he has a feeling it's a boy....he has NEVER had a feeling before!!!lol
I will have to go back near 30wks for another scan though, as usual my placenta is low lying (has happened with everyone!!) so hopefully little bean won't be so modest!

Hmmmm, maybe the
Drano Test is next up??!?!?!

Have a blessed Thursday!!

On My Mind................

2008-08-13T08:44:00.002-06:00

I proudly breastfeed in public, always have and always will. Not once have I ever been approached by someone and asked to move. I HAVE received plenty of glares and looks of disgust. I can't really understand why, I mean it's not like I have removed my shirt and flopped my breasts out onto the table in a restaurant. I, like most women I know, casually lift up our shirt and babe latches and you carry on with whatever it was you were doing. For most of us, by the time we venturing out and about with a new babe, breastfeeding is fairly well established. Heck, most of us can eat, drink, and carry on a convo all the while our babe enjoys a snack!

Well, apparently there are still people out there who have serious issues with the whole concept and I am SO SICK OF IT.
H&M Incident

I am so proud of these mama's for coming together and supporting one another...that's Mama power!!! I know that even here in my neck of the woods, if I or someone in my group was harassed in public...ooooooooo...there would be a Nurse-In hands down.

What get's me is the disgusting, derogatory comments made by the general public.
Gimme me a break, breastfeeding in public is the equivalent of ur*nat*ng/d*fecati*g/mastur*at*ng in public......are you kidding me?!?!?!
Apparently because breastmilk is a bodily fluid, suddenly it is categorized with these acts and should be done in private?!?!?!

I'm sorry, but a baby/toddler/child eating in public IS NOT the same as those things. Not even remotely close!

Like I always say, if you have an issue with my child breastfeeding in public....feel free to eat YOUR dinner in the bathroom or pull a blanket over YOUR head, because MY child never will.

I have always felt so very blessed to be able to nourish my children with my body. There is something so wonderfully, beautiful watching your baby grow from the liquid gold your breasts produce. It's a gift to my children that I am honoured to provide them with. The mental, emotional, nutritional value that breastfeeding can provide is unsurpassed. I embrace it, I encourage it, I will fight for it.
Breastfeeding will become normal again, because Mama says so!!

Have a blessed Wednesday!!

It's a Crazy, Busy Week!!!

2008-08-12T07:59:00.002-06:00

All in a good way of course!

Well, 2 more sleeps until the big day!!! I keep reminding myself that there IS a possibility that the baby will not co-operate, despite my late night conversations with him/her. Just for fun though, I had my drs appt on Friday (well, THAT by itself was NOT fun...but I'll spare you the details and just say it was the initial prenatal. Those of you who've been down the pregnancy path know what I am talking about, those who have not....I'll spare you the details!!lol) ANYWAYS.......two things that are consistent with girl pregnancies for me...my weight and the baby's heartrate. Both of these were on the money for a girl pregnancy. They are: 1.my weight....my weight is consistently higher with my girls, I gained 1.3lbs in a week and am right in the weight gain bracket that I am typically in for girl pregnancies. The other, the heartrate....this is kind of spooky to me....with all my girls at the the checkup between 20wks and 23wks the heartrate was 133.....sure enough last Friday I was 20w6d and the heartrate was 133!!!lol I totally started laughing, I'm sure the doc thought I was a bit weird, but by that point I didn't care, she had drove me crazy by then. So, I obsess more!!lol It's kind of fun not knowing, I'm not sure I could do it the entire way through....but if this bean keeps his/her legs closed I guess I'll have to!!!lol Then ya'll can obsess with my for the next 18.5weeks!!!!

Next on this weeks agenda....I had to order the groceries this week and am having them delivered Friday morning because Friday night we're off to sell tickets for Habitat!! It will be really cool because the venue we'll be at will have a fireworks display at the end of the night!! The kids have never seen fireworks before, so they are uber excited!! Then on Saturday, Bill is off to do construction again!!! Finally, on Sunday, (Our 12th wedding anniversary!!!!WHOOHOO!!!) we'll be heading back out to sell tickets again and see fireworks again!!! Me, I'm looking forward to the variety of food they will have...food from every part of the world!! OOOOOOOOOOH!!! Indian, Thai, Chinese, Ukrainian, Jamaican....oh my!!!

I've also been busy packing!! I figure the more I can pack now, the less I'll have to do later. Although it bothers me to the core living with boxes stacked everywhere!!lol We did the homeschool shelves yesterday, since I had to make room for our shipment that should be arriving in the next month of homeschool goodies!!! I packed stuff that I know we won't be using this year and even will have a bag ready for Freecycle soon!! I discovered I had a few books that seriously do not mesh with our philosophy of learning anymore, it was bizarre for me reading some of the stuff....after reading John Holt and John Gatto...it was really weird!!lol
Today, I want to finish up the last little bit from those shelves, get some more laundry done and maybe get to the cupboard above the fridge...*shudder* that could be interesting!!lol

Well, time to get the ball rolling!! Have a blessed day!!

Just Passing the Time

2008-08-06T17:02:00.002-06:00

I've been busy cleaning and re-organizing some of our important documents and paperwork..blech. I am one who keeps EVERY.LITTLE.THING. I have mine and Bill's income tax stuff from the first year we filed as a couple!!lol
It feels good to have things organized in boxes. I mean I don't suppose we REALLY need the receipt from the tape we bought on April 24th 1995!!HA! Slowly, but surely, bit by bit, I'm going to go through things and only pack essential things instead of moving boxes filled with crap. I can't possibly be the only person who has boxes of stuff you never unpack, but are too worried to toss?!!?!? I'm down to ONE BOX as of today....oh and I REALLY need to invest in a paper shredder as well.

So keep voting ya'll!!! We've got 8 sleeps to go!!!!
Here's my kiddo's votes!!!
ALEX: boy
ALYSSA: 2 girls
ROBBIE: girl
KAYLA: girl
MARIAH: girl
MATTHEW: booboo, macka gecko meehaw
I vote girl, although the morning sickness thing really threw me for a loop.
Either way, I'm happy. All I pray for is a healthy lil' bean!

Well, time to get dinner on the roll...nice and easy tonight...French Toast and Fresh Fruit!! Perfect summer dinner!!!
Blessings!!

Halfway There!!!

2008-08-05T08:57:00.002-06:00

I'm 20wks3d today!! Whoohoo!!
Here's the belly pic!

9 sleeps until Ultrasound day!! I'm really excited since if baby co-operates, I'll be able to find out if this peanut is a boy or a girl and have it be an actual suprise!!!lol Just for fun to help me pass the time by, I'm going to add a boy/girl poll for ya'll!! Here's some background info:
-Both the Chinese Gender Chart and the little quiz at Childbirth.org say GIRL.
-The ring test above my belly does circles, above my hand goes back and forth.
-My face and back have had terrible acne and that has always been the way with a girl in my belly.
-I had morning sickness, which I've only had with boys before.
-I craved chocolate, which I have never craved in ANY of pregnancies before!(well, before the 12th week anyways...*giggle*)
-My butt has definitely grown with this pregnancy and I am carrying the weight everywhere.
-Baby's heartbeat was 156.
So, help me guess to pass the next week and a bit!! What do you think???
Are we gonna have a Brianna or a Nathan?

I will also be posting another Habitat Hours update in the Habitat blog!!!
Have a blessed Tuesday!

Happy Friday!

2008-08-01T09:06:00.003-06:00

This week just zipped by, actually this month zipped by! I can't believe it's August already! Whoohoo, you know what that means...it's almost my favourite time of year!! One more month of summer! HURRAY!!!

So I went to my doctors appt yesterday, I swear those people make me want to rip my hair out!! GAH! Anyways, it wasn't my regular family doctor which was a good thing because then my appt would've really irked me! This doctor though was in a total state of panic because of how far along I am and not having had any tests done!! I just sat there calmly while she freaked out about my not having blood work and all the things that could be wrong RIGHT NOW and we wouldn't have a clue! I just kept saying "I know everything is alright" Gah! So anyways, I left there with all these requisitions and an appt for next Friday for my 'initial prenatal'. At least I get to go for an ultrasound, which she was totally panicked about "Oh dear you need to book that ASAP" lol, that is booked for the 14th. I don;t get to go to my group of docs that delivered Matthew, I've been referred to some group of docs that take on us stragglers and those who don't have a family doc....should be interesting.

I also got to hear the heartbeat!! Only one perfectly sounding little beat!! I guess I'm just fatter this go around!!LOL Although my weight is basically right on track for me at this stage...my weight usually follows along with my current week of pregnancy, give or take a pound or two.......I was 19w5d yesterday and weighed 121.8lbs, perfect! Except I grew an inch, I don't know how that happened...lol Since 8th grade I've been 5 feet on the nose, yesterday I measured 5ft 1in, I asked if she was sure and she measured again...yup, it was correct! Hmph! Maybe there was a bulge in the floor?!?!? Weird! My blood pressure was perfect 98/65, I don't think I've ever been past 110 before!!lol

Not much else on the go, other than being busy!!lol I am getting excited....soon it will be time for our school stuff to arrive!! That is going to be like Christmas!!!
I can't wait to watch all the kids dig into the books and arts stuff and the huge Knex set I ordered!!! It is going to be a blast!!

This weekend I plan on doing a laundry blitz and helping the kids organize their rooms a bit. They don't have much in the way of toys, but because the three girls are in one room, it get's very chaotic, very quickly!! I have also decided that each child will be allowed one large Rubbermaid container filled with their toys to bring when we move, it won't include books or stuffies, just those miscellaneous toys like Bionicles and barbies and race cars. The books and puzzles all fall under the 'community shelf' stuff and I would never limit that stuff. Stuffies are in a category all on their own, and I don't mind because they all truly love and adore their stuffies. Bill will be working on construction this weekend with a small group of guys from Habitat and even a guy from his work is coming to help! They most likely won't be working on our house, but hours are hours and Habitat is all about working together and with each other, doesn't matter who's house!!

In other news, Matthew is still nursing! I was certain that he would drift, but nope, he's happy to nurse now even if he's getting nothing!!lol Me on the other hand.....eh.....we'll see what happens. I know once new baby is here, it will be all good, but at certain times...oy......it's not the most comfortable to be honest. Thankfully though, if I have had enough, I can tell Matthew that Mama needs a break and he complies, he's usually okay with a snuggle. I think he's been feeling the baby kick and is wondering what the heck is going on!!LOL Not too mention the space is getting cramped on my lap!lol Oh well, we'll see where it goes!

Well time to go finish putting groceries away.....before Matthew has them all hidden!
Have a blessed Friday!!!

Got Milk?

2008-07-24T09:13:00.002-06:00

Cause I don't! Grrrrrr, okay so I was NOT prepared for this. My milk has pretty much dried up and in it's place has left colostrum, which apparently Matthew does not appreciate, at all. I've heard/read that it will be all good again once the baby is born...but alas, that is not for another 20 weeks at least! I guess I just sit back and see if he will continue with comfort nursing or if this is the point where he weans. I keep telling him that soon there will be yummy, rich milk, but he just stares at me and rightly so, since he is just 20mths!lol I'm not sure if I'm ready for him to wean, I hadn't really thought about since he was such a boob man. The last week or so, he's been dwindling down his sessions. We are hovering at a 'just before bed nursing' and that's it, so we'll see where this goes!

This weekend is a busy one...Saturday Bill is going to work for some Habitat hours for us and then on Sunday, we're doing a whole day as a family to earn hours. Sunday is going to be a looooong day, but so worth it. The kids are absolutely beside themselves with excitement to be able to help earn hours, so that is good to see! I'm still holding onto the dream and praying every night that there is some small miracle of a chance that we could be in our new house for December 1st....that would be so very awesome!

Tonight my mom is taking Robbie out for a bit, he has birthday $$$ burning a hole in his pocket! I cannot believe he is 8yrs old! Then after they get back, she is taking me out for a coffee!! Yeah!!! I'm looking forward to that.

Baby Henri update: Henri rocks!! He is at home with his Mama and Daddy now!!!! They went home on Tuesday!! Whoohoo, now the fun begins!! I haven't talked to my sister since they've been home, but we all know how those first few days at home are.......long and sleepless!!

Ummm, not much else to report. Just plugging along during these summer days. I have to admit though, I won't miss it when it's gone!! I'm such a fall kinda girl!

oh!! Thanks guys for playing along with my name poll!!! I was so excited to see that Blogger has polls to make...be forewarned though, I have a thing with polls, so expect to see lot's!!! I think it's funny because the names that are 'winning' are the names my heart was leaning towards, as is Bill. I just think it's so funny that I have NO CLUE what this baby (or babies!!!lol) are!!! I am completely thrown off!
I have a drs appt next Thursday just to get a referral, but I am going to ask if he/she will write me up an ultrasound requisition so I can get on that ASAP, because who knows how long it will take me to get into see a maternity doctor.....not that I am overly concerned about it! I felt this little peanut kick on the outside for the first time on Saturday(July 19th) and have felt pokes and bumps everyday since then!! I LOVE this stage!!

well time to get going on laundry, I've actually been back on schedule with it...took awhile after having been on holidays, but I'm finally there!
But first, I am going to add a quick update in the Habitat blog!!
Have a blessed Thursday!!!

A Freebie to Share

2008-07-16T07:54:00.002-06:00

For those of you who appreciate a simpler way to life, you will love this! Perfect if you're new to a homestead way of life!
Homeschool Freebie of the Day

We are sick...again. This is our 10th illness since September..blech. I will say that although we've had many more illnesses than the previous year, I am noticing that the children and I are getting over them quicker. Where a typical cold used to last 7-10 days, we are now 5-8 days with only 1 or 2 being the really bad days as opposed to 3-4 days. What am I doing different? Well, we all take Echinecia drops everyday (1 drop per 5 pounds of weight is what I go by) and we all take pure vitamin C tablets, as well as ditching ALL kinds of antibacterial stuff. I also have been drinking a pure fruit/vegetable juice that has Acai berries in it and another that has Wheat Grass in it. I dream of the day when I own a juicer (I am saving up currently for one) and can make my own! I think one of the main things is changing our diets. Limiting (I haven't been successful at eliminating yet) all refined sugars and gross white flours. I am not being strict with this because I think that would be a major downfall here, not too mention Bill might have a meltdown!!lol I've just been slowly integrating little things into our diets. It's much easier for myself and the kids, but I have to be careful since we are on a food budget. I cannot be buying all natural organic stuff for the kids and I and then on top of that all the regular stuff that Bill likes.

I think it will be much easier once we have our own house and our garden, we are planning a 20'X20' garden area that will be fenced off. I am sooooo excited!! I am hoping that will be when I can order all our groceries from the organic delivery store or even hopefully have joined a food co-op(another dream!!)

I was daydreaming last night as Matthew drifted off to sleep at the breast of when we are living in our new house........It will be so much more energy efficient and will have all energy efficient lighting. The insulation is rated at R40(I think, does that make sense?!?! I'll have to double check with Alex or Bill) at any rate the house is sealed super tight! Energy efficient furnace and water heater, energy efficient appliances. I would like to get Bill to rig the washer and possible the main floor sink from the bathroom to drain it's gray water into a collection barrel outside to use to water the garden/lawn. I also had the fun little thought of if only I could talk Bill into a Composting toilet but he's not quite there yet...lol. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it and think it's perfect and would probably have the best garden around! Bill however, turned a pale shade of green when I told him how it works....guess he needs some work!!lol
It will just feel so much better living in a better, more efficient house.

well, today is cloth diaper washing day!! I can hardly wait until I can have all the tiny ones out again!! I wonder if Matthew will be potty trained by then? None of boys have ever been on the ball with it...we shall see!
Have a blessed day!

oh my!!! Too Funny!!

2008-07-11T10:52:00.002-06:00

Totally swiped this from Misty
I am laughing my butt off, and here I thought I was a 1950's kind of wife!!ROFL!!
Go try it out!!!

102

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

What did you get???

Happy Friday!!!

2008-07-11T10:02:00.002-06:00

Today is the day I get to meet my nephew and I am giddy like a school girl!!lol
I cannot wait to snuggle him and say hello....can this day go any faster?!?!

So for curiosity sake I decided to go and check my pregnancy journal from Matthew (yes, I have a journal for each pregnancy....baby books are sparsley filled though) and lo and behold the height of the fundus is only a smidge bigger now than it was Matthew.(we're talking about one finger width, give or take some room for error since it is just my fingers!!lol)But, I thought it was a good idea to post a comparison pic as Sandra suggested...you be the judge. Perhaps I am carrying higher??

Here's 16weeks with Matthew:

and here's 16weeks with this little one:

and for even more fun comparison, here's my belly with Matthew at 20wks:

Of course all the kids are hoping it's twins, they think that would be awesome! It would be interesting and a new kind of challenge, that's for sure! Talk about a milk machine!!lol my biggest worry/fear would be them being born early and having to spend time in the NICU, I can't imagine the difficulty in having to be here at home and there at the hospital. I know we'd do it, but I'm not sure it's an experience I'd want to endure that's for sure! Maybe I'd be one of the lucky ones who carries to term (whoa, me 38wks preggers with twins!!!lol can you imagine!!) I was reading that woman with twins typically gain double the normal amount they gain with singletons....not so bad if you're on of those mama's who only gains like 15-20lbs.....not I...I gain between 39-42lbs!!!lol The thought of me gaining almost 80lbs is quite amusing....although I am very certain it would'nt be hard to do....food tastes so divine whilst pregnant and I do not restrain self (I do have self control though!!lol big difference) If I want cheeseburgers or lasagna for breakfast, I'm eating it! If I want ice cream, I'm eating it. My favourite fast food to date has been either Harveys or Arby's oh yummmmmmmm!!!!

Anyways, enough of daydreaming and on with the day!!
Have a blessed Friday everyone!!!

More good stuff to win!!!

2008-07-10T08:14:00.003-06:00

Oh my!!!! This has me drooling even more!!!
I have wanted to try (quite badly actually!!lol) The Bum Genius 3.0 (heck even the 2.0!!lol) but, they are just a smidge out of my range....unless I bought one a month or something!!lol Go check out this contest too!!!

Beat The Heat Summer Contest

Good luck!!

Win A WHOLE STASH babywearing mama's!!!

2008-07-10T07:58:00.003-06:00

Oh WOW!!! I am drooling! This is so awesome and would be so perfect with my having a baby on the way and my sister just having had a baby!!! Check it out!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Have a Blessed Thursday!!!
Penny

Something Fun......

2008-07-09T09:51:00.002-06:00

Saw this at Cheri's
Sounds good to me, especially since I will be 30 on Sept.12th...almost two months!!lol

You Act Like You Are 30 Years Old

You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

You're responsible, wise, and have enough experience to understand a lot of the world.

You're at the point in your life where you understand yourself pretty well.

You are figuring out what you want... and how to get it!

What Age Do You Act?

Blessings!!

I'm Baaaack!!

2008-07-08T12:26:00.002-06:00

Hey ya'll!! Did ya miss me?!?!?!

Soooo much to catch up on! First and foremost though....I'M AN AUNTIE!!!!!!!!! My sister had her baby on Sunday July 6th at 5:42pm. He was 5.5weeks early and weighed 4lbs 9ozs and 17 1/4" long....soooo cute! He's doing really good and will hopefully come off of the machine that is helping him breathe and hopefully his Mama can hold and snuggle him today and maybe, just maybe, get him to latch on for a first nip at the boob!!! HURRAYYYYYYY!!! Yes, I am VERY happy and excited!!
I'm really hoping I'll be able to go visit him on Friday evening!! Oh, his name is Henri, they are not sure about a middle name just yet though.

Our holidays were fabulous!! It was wonderful seeing Bill's side of the family, the kids really loved seeing them too. I will put pics up in the Flickr and some on here too, soon.

My pregnancy is going really good! I'm at about 16w3d and still haven't gone to the doctor, but I will be in the next few weeks. I'm just trying to decide whether I want my initial appt to be with my family doc or just ask for a referral right away (my fam doc doesn't do deliveries). The morning sickness is completely gone and I feel fabulous!! Oh how I love this phase! I can quite a bit of movement, mostly like a bunch of butterflies flickering in my belly! I do get the occasional 'bump' here and there, but not strong enough to be felt on the outside, that should happen by the end of this month though. I did a 16w belly pic today, although if you had to guess you would probably assume it's a 20-24w belly!! Of course there is the ongoing banter that it's twins. Interestingly enough, I typically joke right along side the jesters and have questioned the possibility before. This time however, there is a funny 'feeling' in the bottom of my tummy......I'm not sure if it's fear or nervousness or what. I DO know that feeling has never been around before. I haven't noticed a huge difference in symptoms with this pregnancy....morning sickness seemed to hit much stronger and last a bit longer, but my hunger has been INSANE. I feel as though I have gained 20lbs (I don't own a scale so this is just purely a guess based on what clothing does and doesn't fit).

Of course, this could all just be because I am still nursing Matthew (who has no desire to wean at ALL at this point in time LOL) who loves his 'boobie' and still nurses approx every two hrs during the night right now.(he's cutting all four molars and all four eye teeth...owie!) There has been some 'pressure' for me to wean him. A few, who shall remain anonymous, are not all that comfortable with the prospect of my having a nursing 2yo AND a nursing baby...heck, even just a nursing toddler has a few shuddering. Alas, they are my boobs and this is a relationship between myself and my toddler and he is still obviously in need of his boobies...I refuse to deny him that.

Having said all that, here's the pic!

Well, time to get back to sprucing up the blog site and all the good stuff that I've put off around here!
Blessings!!
Penny

A Photo Kind of Meme

2008-06-11T18:13:00.004-06:00

Totally stealing this from Cheri Since I am taking a small break from ~~working~~ ~~Packing~~ losing my mind. So here ya go! Keep in mind that we are heading out for holidays...so in actuality, this is the perfect time for one of these!!
My Fridge

A little empty!!lol
A Closet

My closet! All of Bill's stuff hangs on a roll-a-way and is in drawers!
Kitchen Sink

There are dishes piled on the left hand side to be washed!
A Toilet

This is the main bathroom.
My Favourite Shoes

My NEW sandals!!Woot!! They're soooo uber comfy!
My Favourite Room

The master bedroom! especially right now because all I can think of sleep!Ha!
What My Kids are Doing Right Now

Matthew had just spilled his cereal on the couch...guess I'll be vacuuming when I get off here!

Kayla and Mariah are busy playing with Alyssa's barbies. Alex refused his pic, he was sitting beside the girls watching a show and the other two are at the dentist!
Laundry Pile

This is the basket that stays upstairs and gets filled with the laundry from the day and then dumped downstairs at bedtime tidy up. It's a bit blurry because my camera batteries were dying.
Self Portrait

Dream Vacation
I don't care much for travel, so where we are heading and the people we get to see.....yup, that's my dream vacation! Although, I would love to take the kids to see the ocean...we can drive there!!lol

I'm not tagging anyone in particular, but if you do this...leave me comment so I can come see!!! errrrr, when I get back!

Have an awesomely blessed rest of the month!!!
Penny

A Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-06-09T08:52:00.003-06:00

FOR TODAY...
Outside My Window...So far, it's sunny! Although it's supposed to get cloudy and rain soon!
I am thinking... about how I should really be finishing up laundry and packing!
I am thankful for...friends and family who are helping to make our holiday happen
From the kitchen...for dinner..teryaki porkchops, rice and steamed veggies
I am wearing...jean capris, pink t-short and a zip hoodie
I am creating... some nifty ways of packing clothing!
I am going...to get all the packing done, really I am!
I am reading...nothing at the moment, but I plan on bringing books with me to read on the drive
I am hoping... that we can fit everything in the van!lol
I am hearing... a magic show taking place downstairs
Around the house... total chaos! The kids are hyped, the house is a mess, coolers and 'stuff' are everywhere!
One of my favorite things... besides the KFC that I am craving (oh I know, isn't that gross?!?!), the vacuum sealing packing bags that I am using to pack the clothing in...major space saving!
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
-finish packing
-get last minute stuff done
-load up the van
-finish making snacks to eat(got the 'dry' ones done, just need to get the fresh fruit and veggies done.
-try to keep my sanity!
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
Nothing yet!

Now, back to work!!!!
Have a blessed Monday!
Penny

Time for a Change!

2008-06-05T09:25:00.002-06:00

Tonight I go and get my hair chopped!! I'm excited!! I will post before/after pics.
My mom is going to meet up with me and then we're going to go for coffee....yummmmmm!
I am so happy that morning sickness is nearing it's end. I only have spurts every few days now. I'm also feeling some energy come back which is a huge plus!lol
My appetite is crazy, I am constantly hungry. My mom says it's because I'm having twins (can you imagine!!lol) I think it's because I'm still nursing Matthew. Whatever the case, it's crazy! I have been craving burgers and decided that eating one or two burgers is not the healthiest choice, so I switched over to veggie burgers! Yummmm, they're really good and satisfy my craving. I won't have a drs appt until sometime in July, at which point I'll be well into my second trimester. I don't think my drs will be all that pleased with me this time around since I am doing things differently and against 'their' opinions. I am refusing tests. I am refusing induction. I am refusing the eye drops and bath for baby after birth. I will however allow an ultrasound and that is mostly for Bill's sake, I think it gives him the reassurance. I am also not going to go and see the dr on 'their' timetable. I don't need to hear "blah, blah" about my weight, I can measure my own fundal height, I know my blood pressure is fine and I could even measure that on my own. I wish I did however, have a doppler to hear the baby's heartbeat. I might be able to borrow my mom's stethoscope though........

So with me not having an induction, there is a very good chance I may deliver at home! Which is fine by me. I think Bill would have a cow...I think the kids would be a better support system!!ROFL!! Of course the dr is not going to agree with me and will try to talk me into an induction because it is 'safer' to deliver in a controlled environment. Once upon a time I actually believed that, but no more. After the last two births and how close I came to a c-section, I am not going down that path again. One intervention leads to another and leads to another. I now know and believe that it's actually safer for me to deliver at home, rather than hooked up to pitocin and monitors and all the interference. I feel so much more at peace with these decisions and with much prayer, feel that this is where the Lord wants me as well. I trust Him and my body!!!

So, we have names picked out...although I haven't run them past Bill yet!!lol I think he'll be okay with them. I'm pretty sure this is going to be a girl. At first I was certain BOY, but as time has gone on, I've decided that this is much more like my girl pregnancies. My skin is awful with acne. It's all over my face, my back, and my chest. I'm tempted to get that Proactiv stuff!! But I doubt I will, since I never use anything on my face anyways!lol I suppose I will just have to be patient and drink plenty of water. At least my nails look nice!!!lol Another girl pregnancy symptom!
The girls are thrilled and the boys keep hoping I'm wrong...lol At least one of us will be right! I can already feel tiny flickers, which is very comforting. They aren't very often and I have to be laying perfectly still in bed. It feels as though a little moth is flipping about. Of course it's easy for me since my uterus is about 1.5 finger widths below my belly button!!lol
Well, I'll wrap this up with a belly pic!! This one was at 10weeks and as of today I am 11w5d!!

Have a blessed Thursday!!
~Penny

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-06-02T08:23:00.002-06:00

FOR TODAY...
Outside My Window...It is a rainy day...again!
I am thinking... about how I am going to arrange the shelves my mom gave me
I am thankful for... being able to go on holidays and see my 'other' parents..I miss them terribly!
From the kitchen...for dinner..herbed chicken breasts, diced potatoes and cheesy broccoli.
I am wearing...jeans and a tank top
I am creating... a way to have more space in the living/dining area(hence the shelving)
I am going... to get that all done today!!
I am reading...a baby name book (have two picked out!!)
I am hoping... that it clears up outside a bit so I can Freecycle some stuff
I am hearing... the chitter chatter from the breakfast table
Around the house... hopefully my vision will work and it will all be accomplished today..I totally dislike having my living room filled with shelves in the middle of it!!lol
One of my favorite things... has been a yummy craving of mine...croutons smothered in Caesar dressing and fresh grated Parmesan cheese...ummm...so basically a Caesar salad without the salad!lol Don't worry, I eat it with the lettuce too, just too much lettuce give me tummy issues...if ya know what I mean!!ROFL!!!
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
-finish laundry backlog
-pack and pack and pack for holidays
-get living/dining/homeschool area all organized
-get haircut on thursday
-find a place for our dog to stay while we're on holidays (I'm so sad we can't bring her)(this is actually supposed to be Bill's job for the past month......yup, he's a procrastinator) I'm hoping she can stay with someone whom we love and trust, I think of her as one of my kids!!)
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Have a blessed Monday!!
Penny

T.G.I.F

2008-05-30T10:08:00.002-06:00

Soooo happy it's Friday!

This week has been a busy one, well for us anyways!!lol My dentist appointment went really well. I got the bridge removed and we discovered that while the two canine teeth are basically gone, we can at least restore them with crowns and posts!! Praise the Lord!! It would not have been good if we would've had to yank them.
We also discovered that my one canine was severly infected, when she was testing it's strength, it kind of exploded with pus! (sorry, I know TMI) She was shocked and asked what kind of pain I had been in. I said, well it's always hurt so it's hard to tell. She said with that much infection, she was surprised I wasn't in a lot of pain! She than said that I have an incredible pain threshold, which is funny because I have always thought of myself as a wimp!!lol
So, anyways now we at least know what we're dealing with and we have a plan! Right now I have a temporary bridge that they kind of threw together in the office. In about a month I will go back and get that one tooth a root canal and take molds, then begin putting posts on the other teeth that will eventually have the crowns then they will put the temporary bridge on again. About a month after that, we well
put the crowns on and I will have my temporary 'Flipper' (basically an acrylic denture that clips onto the molars)!!! Hurray!!!! After baby is born, we will get another impression and I will have a permanent denture made whoohoo!!!!!

The most wonderful thing about all of this, we won't have to pay a dime for any of this!!!! That is how awesome Bill's benefits are. When Bill double checked with his boss about the max amounts and stuff, he said the max was super high and if for some reason we hit that max, the insurance company ill call him and he will waive it!!!
Can you believe that?!!? I swear I could just squeeze that man!!! I am soooooooo thankful Bill works for this company, not just because of the benefits, but because they are such SUPER kind, loving family type people! Truly amazing and almost un-heard of in this day and age!

Last night we had a Birthday celebration for Mariah who turned 4 on the 22nd! I cannot believe she's 4 years old!!! Sometimes I wish time would just slow down a bit, just so I could savour each and every second a bit longer.
There are pics in the Flickr.

Tonight it's groceries. I'm trying something different. I think I'm just going to get boxed things at Superstore (because they carry case lot sized stuff and it's the cheapest) but then I am going to go somewhere else and get my meat and produce there. The produce has been absolutely NASTY at Superstore and the meat is either not there or has holes poked in it! The lettuce last time was brown and warm, the potatoes smelled so bad and were mushy. The carrots were all dried out and warm. Blech!

Then the rest of the weekend is laundry focused! I have to get as much done as I possible can because I want to start packing for our holidays!! Hurray!!

Next Thursday I am going to go get my hair cut again. I was going to grow it out again, but then I thought being pregnant and the summer....short hair will be nice! I think I am going to have the length kept on the hair that frames my face and have it cut really short at the back, almost spiky. I guess a lot like Kate Gosselin lol! I'm pretty excited!!

We cleaned out our homeschool shelves. I think we had one of the best years ever. I feel like we accomplished so much, even though we don't have an actual large amount of written work. We had some really awesome conversations this year and had lot's of fun researching things. Robbie is getting so good with his reading now and loves to read books to Kayla and Mariah. I love how the buddy system works! Alex used to read to Alyssa, then Alyssa read to Robbie, now Robbie is reading to Kayla and Mariah, I don't think it will take Kayla very long to pick up reading, I figure by Christmas she'll be reading her short little books. A website that we found to be quite helpful is Starfall I love how it keeps things fun and yet educational. You can also print off books to read along with. But, be forewarned...the catchy little tunes will get stuck in your head!!lol

Something really neat has also happened since we transitioned over to unschool, it never ends!! I was thinking that as we were packing up stuff to go back to our school board. Really, our school year isn't over since we are always learning! We won't be changing much around here, I'll still answer questions and we will still search out answers. Really cool if you ask me! Our house has been sooo smooth and happy since we switched, the kids have fell in love with learning again, they are doing art constantly. I'm so happy that I am able to do this for them. It works for us and it's been a tremendous blessing to us.

Actually, when it all comes down to it, this year has been filled with blessings for us. Absolutely wonderful things have been happening and I thank the Lord daily for them. He has done wonderful things in our lives and I just can't help smiling!
I never thought we would be here. I prayed daily and never lost faith. I never want to forget where we've been though and what we went through. I believe those were crucial lessons for us from the Lord. I know the biggest lesson I learned was being happy and feeling blessed with what you have. The other biggest lesson was trusting the Lord with everything and following His lead. Even at times I felt angry and frustrated, I had to step back and say "Ok, I must trust the Lord and His plans for us" But, wow! It was so hard at times. Patience is another. Just because I want something right now, doesn't mean I NEED it right now or if at all.

Well, I suppose I really should get my butt off of here and get my list/menus together!!
Have a blessed weekend!! Hopefully it's sunny and warm where you are! :o)
Penny

Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-05-26T08:06:00.004-06:00

FOR TODAY May 26th 2008
Outside My Window... It is pouring rain and very cool out!
I am thinking... of which load of laundry conquer today...hmmmm
I am thankful for... the life path God has given me and blessed me with!
From the kitchen... toast and eggs for breakfast, then homemade bread should be wafting from the kitchen soon!
I am wearing... super cozy blue fuzzy pants, a comfy zip hoodie
I am creating... lists and more lists!
I am going... to go to Value Village later this evening to get my oldest some much needed clothing and hopefully find some low waisted pants for me in a bigger size!
I am reading... a combination of books, mostly herbal pregnancy related info right now.
I am hoping... we can get our hours done really fast for Habitat, I really can't imagine another winter in this house..*shivers*
I am hearing...some of the children playing, some are getting breakfast.
Around the house... it is a disaster zone! getting ready for holidays and tons to pack!
One of my favorite things... is waking up each morning and saying to myself "I have a baby growing in my belly!"
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
-Value Village tonight
-packing and more packing
-grocery shopping
-my dentist appointment to have my bridge removed
-doctors appointment for me
-pick up new temporary teeth
-ummm, maybe relax?!?!
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

The Official Annoucement!

2008-05-12T17:03:00.003-06:00

Well, I guess it's time to officially announce it on here!!
Blessing number 7 is due to arrive near December 20th!!! Hurray!!
Everyone is excited and already guessing if it's a boy or a girl!lol
Given the amount of morning sickness I've been experiencing, my guess is boy!

I'm excited that I am pregnant with Michelle Duggar again...just a couple weeks between us this time!!!

Gosh, I cannot believe the extent of horrible nasty things people can toss out in regards to the Duggars. Obviously one can't take offense to the narrow mindness, those of us with larger than average families are above that. I mean honestly, do you think your dimwitted, thoughtless remarks are something we have never heard before?? I'm sorry, but you are not that original. In fact, your un-educated, ignorant words raise us up and make us stronger. I know since my 4th and 5th pregnancies, the remarks mean less and less (actually I just smile and nod, whatever) being that this is number 7, the disgusting garbage is nothing more than that and doesn't even make it in one ear and out the other. I would imagine JimBob and Michelle have adopted the same way of thinking as most larger than average families do. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what some imbecile said, we have the love and support of our family....and luckily for us that love and support just happens to be MEGA sized!

Hugs, kisses, laughs, smiles and love......now that is one serving I will gladly take supersized!

Congratulations Duggars! May the Lord continue to bless you!
God bless, Penny

You MUST watch this.......

2008-05-02T11:46:00.002-06:00

The Business of Being Born

WOW!! What a beautifully made documentary, Ricki and Abby did such a fabulous job of producing a non-biased opinion on the choices of birth.

Remember it's International Midwives Day on May 5th!!

Have a blessed weekend!!
I will be back with pics of tomorrow on the Habitat blog!
God bless, Penny

It's Monday Already??

2008-04-28T08:05:00.002-06:00

Seriously where did the weekend go? Apparently I missed it, oh yeah, that must've been when I blinked!

Well, my plan didn't work out so well. I should've known that my sassy attitude would come back to bite me! I had a dentist appointment on Saturday. It was just supposed to be for an exploring and to talk about what to do about my bridge. Well, it changed a wee bit. I had been having discomfort in one of my teeth that the bridge is on (nothing really out of the ordinary with this stupid bridge!) when she looked at it she said that it was infected. We decided instead of doing another course of antibiotics, we would cut through the bridge and just yank the root (that was all that was left!!) so that is what we did! So, now I only have half the amount of teeth one should have on the top. I have 7. Oh well, at least the infection is well on it's way of being cleared. Today it's still a little tender, but I think that's because it is so close to the front (the first molar after your canines).
The joys!!!

So, because I felt so yucky on Saturday the kids cleaned up!!lol Go figure! Oh well, one day my house will be clean and then that means that all my babies will have grown and moved on, and I am not looking forward to that (well I am because I am excited for them and their lives ahead of them, but you know what I mean!!)
Thankfully, Bill could careless about the state of the house!lol So it's my own self that creates the stress over it. Seriously, Bill would not care if I only did housework once a month, or if the dust was so thick. As long as his clothes are clean and he get's food, he's happy. Like he's always said, he would rather have an energetic wife than a clean house!!lol

This week is crazy busy, but all in a good way. Tomorrow we meet with our family partner from Habitat (I'll post an update in that blog), then it's grocery shopping week. On Friday Bill and I are going to go pick up my sister. It will be nice to have some just Bill and Me time. I'm nervous about leaving Matthew for awhile in the evening and then again for the next day. He's still nursing and I worry that these large gaps in nursing are going to affect my production. He really has no signs of weaning anytime soon, I guess I will just have to have faith in my body!

We have been busy cleaning and de-cluttering as well. So far, I have almost 7 LARGE black garbage bags for donation or I may post it on Freecycle. It's a mix of sheets, towels, toys, clothes from Bill and I and a few things that don't fit some of the kids. I decided I am going to start packing here and there as well. Just things like ornaments and small things that aren't used on a regular basis. That way I can take my time and clean them all before packing too. I will probably call on all my chickie friends to have a packing blitz when it get's closer and we actually have a date. Every other time we've moved I've figured I'm a hero and can pack up my entire house all by myself all the while doing everything else!!lol Well, it never owrks out so well and on top of that, we have two more kids now since we last moved!!
Live and learn right!!!

The weather is finally perking up around here, perhaps the 6 months of winter is officially over?!?! one can only hope!!
Yesterday, it really warmed up and a lot of the snow was melting....good thing my neighbours were using the water from their garden hose to speed the melting process on their front lawn, I mean really, who would want to preserve such a precious resource such as water anyways?!?!?
Humph!

God bless, Penny

Bite Back!

2008-04-24T10:02:00.002-06:00

Go check it out!!!

I am doing something I have never done before, I have threatened it, I have swore I'm gonna do it, and now today as of 8:43AM MST I am NOT CLEANING UP AFTER ANYONE...except for Matthew of course!

I guess it's a strike of some sort, although I am not halting cooking, laundry and general cleaning. I am just stopping that notorious wandering through the house putting things back where they belong and I am not going to stand in the kitchen hollering "Who's bowl is on the table and not in the sink?" NOPE! Nobody in this house seems to understand why I get so frustrated about the 'little things'. "It's just socks under the couch", "It's just some paper on the table", "It's just a box of half eaten crackers beside the computer" and I know ya'll know where this is going, because I'm sure ya'll deal with the same thing.

So, until Sunday evening, I am not doing A THING. Perhaps my theory that the house will implode will come true and maybe not. At any rate, I hope it proves the point that one pile creates another. If your laundry is not in the laundry pile, it will not be washed. If your dishes are not by the sink, emptied/scraped- they will not be washed. It should be interesting! This is going to take every ounce of will power I have to resist not putting away those pairs of shoes or tossing that wrapper in the garbage. I think it's time though, and apparently my family learns from doing and seeing NOT listening! For those of you wondering, yes this includes my dear husband as well...I'm not sure he thinks I am serious, but I think come tomorrow and the next day, it will begin to sink in. We shall see!!! I'll keep ya posted!

Have a blessed Thursday!
Penny

Aptitude Test

2008-04-22T17:15:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I hear the word 'TEST' and right away my hands begin to feel sweaty and cold at the same time. My mouth suddenly become horribly dry and my stomach begins doing flips!
I have thought about writing Children's literature for quite sometime now, actually since I was in elementary school!! I particularly enjoy writing fiction for the preteen girl age group. To give you an idea, Judy Blume and Ann M. Martin are two of my most cherished authors. So, I thought I would give it a shot at the Institute of Children's Literature. I had done the whole process back when Alyssa was a baby and was accepted, but I chickened out. If I should be accepted again and it won't dent our budget to badly, I am not going to back out this time. My stomach did a complete flip just reading what I wrote!

Anyways, as part of the aptitude test, you have to submit a sample of your writing. It can either be a memory from childhood or something that you think would appeal to children. I chose to go with a memory from my childhood and the first thing that popped into my head was this:
**********************************
A Candy for a Penny

It was still dark when I was awoken by my father gently tapping my shoulder. "It's time" his deep whisper came through the darkness, lit only by a small sliver of light coming from the bathroom light. Today would be the birthday of my baby sister!

I was ecstatic. Oh, how I had waited and waited for this day to arrive! Ever since I tossed that penny over my shoulder at the water fountain in the mall and silently wished for a baby sister. Ever since my mothers belly began to swell. The day was here at last. My suitcase had been packed for weeks, knowing ahead of time the plan was for me to stay with our neighbours.
When I emerged from my room, I caught glimpse of my mother griping the edge of the stove and moaning loudly. My innocent mind was so unsure and yet, curious as to why she would be moaning like a wounded creature. My father quickly ushered my suitcase and me out the front door. I sensed a great amount of urgency from him, as his heavy hands kind of shuffled me along causing me to move at a quicker pace and stumble somewhat over my own feet. We were greeted by the crisp, fresh air of that beautiful summer morning. The birds had already begun their morning songs in the trees and the sun was well on it's way to greet the day.

We arrived at our neighbours, who luckily live in the other side of the duplex we were renting. My father gave the top of my head a quick dusting with hand and he was gone. As I sat down with our neighbour on her couch I began to chat nervously and about everything our dog had done. Important stuff when you're only one month shy of turning seven. After exploring my suitcase and discovering the treasure of coloring books, sticker books, story books and treats my mother had packed, the phone rang.

I remember the feeling of a million little butterflies flittering in my stomach as I slowly approached the telephone, so uncertain and so excited. As I placed the phone on my ear and felt it's coldness, I hear my fathers deep voice. "It's a GIRL!!!, you have a baby sister!!!"
I was speechless, trying to wrap my brain around this whole concept. "I will come and pick you up in a bit and take you to see her and your mother in the hospital" my father replied to my stunned silence. "Okay" was all I could muster.

I don't have memories of the drive, but I do remember vividly walking into that hospital room and seeing my mom sitting cross legged with the teeniest bundle I had ever seen. It stole my breath when I stood on my tippy toes and peaked over the bed to see her.

I asked what her name would be and my father replied "'Candy' except we will spell it, KANDIE"

Perfect I thought. Absolutely perfect. My 'Kandie for a Penny'.

Written by:
Penny
************************************
That is pretty close to the original way that morning went. Of course, I had to leave out some stuff since it can only be 250-500 words!!lol I think I went a smidge over 500....I hope that doesn't disqualify me! lol

Wish me luck!!
God bless, Penny

Our Prayers Have Been Answered!!!

2008-04-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

The Lord has answered, and His answer was most wonderful!!

We have been accepted as a partner family with Habitat for Humanity!! We will be home owners!! Whoohoo!!! You can follow along with this journey by checking out our Habitat blog at Home Sweet Habitat Home It will be a big move for us when the time comes as the community is on the other side of the city, but to have our very own house will be worth every bit of it!

We will be building a five bedroom, detached home. I'll know more after we go into to sign THE papers on Friday! Needless to say, we are completely overjoyed!

The Lord has been answering a lot of our prayers lately, it is such a blessing to see such wonderful things happening all around us. It always amazes me as to just how perfect the Lord's timing is, I'm so glad I never lose faith in Him. Even when things have been at their worst for us and there is no sight of that light at the tunnel...it's so easy to give up on Him and feel sorry for yourself, but I held strong and kept saying I trust you Lord, I trust your perfect timing and your plans for us. Believe me, it is hard sometimes, but keep the faith!!
It has been absolutely heartwarming to hear our friends and family all step forward with offerings of their time and energy to make this happen for us, actually when ever I start to talk about it I get all teary eyed because it is just so incredibly amazing to know that everyone supports us and loves us so much and they all want this so badly for us! Our hearts are so full, I am just speechless! This is going to be such a wonderful journey. The most amazing thing, our sponsors are a church, a Christian Church!!! I know, amazing huh?!?!? The power of the Lord!!

Praise the Lord!!
God bless, Penny

A Must See and a Must Play

2008-04-01T20:49:00.003-06:00

First, a must see:

Sir Ken Robinson on TED talks

Whoa, hey?!?!?! Absolutely amazing!!

A Must PLay:
Cranium Hullabaloo

We played this game on Saturday night (and Sunday night, and yesterday.....lol) it is a wonderful game. I love how it incorporates everyone of any age into it. I love how there is a winner every few minutes as well!!

Earth hour was a lot of fun! We were actually so engrossed in our games, we didn't even realize it was past 9pm!lol
I have been busy getting things together for the Used Toy and Clothing sale, trying to figure what does and doesn't fit everyone....hmmmmm...my basement resembles a second hand store right now!!LOL

Oh!! We get to go to BC!!! WHOOHOO!!! We get to go for 2 whole glorious weeks...ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! We are already counting down the sleeps!!LOL A friend of ours who has the same van as us, is going to let us switch out our middle seats with his back row seats giving us that extra seat!! Isn't that awesome?!?! Praise the Lord!! I can hardly wait for Matthew to meet his Nana and really his Papa too. (Papa and Matthew did meet when Matthew was 9mos old)

Well, gotta run...here's some pics...there are more in the Flickr. Unfortunately a certain someone has been 'stealing' my pics and has unfortunately really ruined it for everyone....No pics of my children will be posted anywhere, except where there are ways to disable 'lifting'(or at least make it more difficult). Of course if said person continues to completely dis-respect me and 'steal' MY pics from there, no pics whatsoever will be posted ANYWHERE. Which is sad because some near and dear family members thoroughly enjoy seeing the pics as they can't see the kids in person.
I will be posting a letter with more info ASAP.

**ETA** I know who this person is and I have discussed it with them previously which really frustrates me as it is blatant disrespectful behaviour.

*Mariah made this ALL BY HERSELF!!!!*

God bless!! Penny

60 minutes...YOU can do it!

2008-03-29T13:22:00.002-06:00

Hello all my cyber friends!

As you have probably already heard, today is the day we can all make a difference. Tonight starting at 8pm YOUR local time, switch OFF your lights for ONE HOUR. That's it!! My family an I will be playing some family games by candlelight. What are your plans? Sign up, and help make a difference!!

Have a blessed Saturday!!
~Penny

Helllooooo!!!

2008-03-18T08:49:00.004-06:00

*dusting a few cobwebs*

Wow! That just might be my longest hiatus in my personal blogging history!lol!
So much to update on!

There will be a new baby in the family near the beginning of August!! Nope, not me! HA! I am going to be an Auntie!!!! They had an ultrasound yesterday and it's a BOY!!!!Hurray!! Everything looks great and he is perfect!!Praise the Lord!

We have also made the transition complete and are now officially an unschooling family!! WHOOHOO!!!I am so very excited about this and the kids have embraced it completely. It is such an amazing thing watching what happens when children are given a say in their learning and how quickly one thing can turn into another learning thing and we continue to build from there. A question about seeds can turn into a week long investigation about plant life!! Over the next little bit here the kids and I will be sitting down and choosing reading materials and other interesting things to explore for our learning!! Both Robbie and Alyssa have really taken off with their artistic talents and have been producing amazing drawings!! Alex has been exploring different writing ideas and has decided to work on a novel, he is such an amazing writer! Robbie and Alyssa would like to learn more about Canada and it's history. Robbie has a particular interest in the Canadian Government. Alyssa, Robbie, Kayla, and Mariah all have a real love of cooking! YAY!! Soon, I may be cooking less and less!
They already can cook a fair amount by themselves, and bake as well! Alex can make a mean banana bread!

Matthew is so big now! He just turned 16mos and has been moving out of the baby phase so fast! He walks and talks, his words are so very clear. I think he's the clearest talker I've had! He says very clear over 30 different words and has just started putting some small sentences together. (more juice, etc)He is still blissfully a boobie man and nurses still every 4-5hours. He has yet another cold, so I'm hoping he avoids the whole ear infection thing again.

As I have said in previous posts, I've been on a journey. Both an emotional one and more so a spiritual one. The Lord has been doing tremendous things in my heart lately and it is just amazing! The more I trust in Him, the more I see things coming together! The more balanced I feel and the more at peace I feel, and as you can imagine, this all trickles down into my role as Mama and wife. Don't get me wrong, it is difficult sometimes when it feels as though the entire world is against God, but then He sends me a little message or a nudge to remind me that there are others who see by His light. I can see His works when I just look back on the previous years when we were struggling...all the times God used someone to give what we needed or provided a way for us. We also learned that there are things that we really don't need or can easily do without. A good example is a vehicle. Now we have our van, but we do not all fit in it right now (haven't since before Matthew was born!) we have survived just fine for the past 16mos!

Yes, it does take some creativity to get places. I have the best tools! God gave me two perfectly fine legs and He even gave them to all my kids!!lol I am hoping that we'll be able to find a three seater bench for our van though. We have an opportunity to go to BC for holidays, and I really would like to go. Not to mention the fact that Bill's Mama hasn't met Matthew yet! So we'll see!

Hmmmm, what else......OH! I've been making changes with cleaning/skin/laundry products! This has been a major thing for this scent junkie!lol So far, I have successfully ditched all chemical skin stuff. I do not use any soap/cleansers on my skin. I no longer use any moisturizer or lotions. I use some stuff called Lunar Eclipse baby oil and belly butter
I absolutely LOVE them! I've also ditched traditional shampoo/conditioner! I was originally doing a baking soda/apple cider vinegar wash every 10 days with just water rinsing in-between...but I crumbled!lol So, now I wash with an organic, Paraben, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, phthalates, fragrance, color, silicone, EDTA, glycol, and petroleum FREE shampoo and conditioner! WHEW! That's a lot of junk, eh?!?! I'm still trying to work out a method, right now I try to wash every 7-10days and rinse in be-tween with water. deodorant is also gone!! But before ya'll think I stink...I did just change it and went with an organic, aluminum free product. It smells so wonderful and really works!! I was pleasantly surprised!

Laundry has been hard. I sooooo love my smelly laundry stuff, but it doesn't love Matthew, Robbie or Bill very much. So, instead of me buying 2-4 different detergents and fabric softners, I've just been slowly phasing everything out and using a natural plant based soap for everyones clothing and Claudia's Choices for Matthew's diapers. Next, is my bleach! Oh how I love my bleach!! This one is gonna be hard! I have only been using it every second or third all white load and have changed to a bleach free substitute. It just doesn't smell the same!!lol

Next, is my diet as well as the kids. I sure wish I could completely change over to organic, but unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot of stuff that comes in sizes I need! Everything seems to be average sized and I end up having to buy 2 or 3 of something so it can last and then end up paying a ridiculous amount. Although, I figure having a few things is better than nothing. I am using organic peanut butter and jam (for the kids and I, Bill still can't change THAT yet!!haha) free range, organic eggs, organic fruit and veggies, some snacks, nuts and seeds. For me, I am slowly allowing my body to adjust to less and less meat. I have a future goal of becoming RAW. I don't think I will do the same with the kids, unless they show interest. I want them to have access to ALL foods, even sugar. I think if I start putting up walls around their food, it will do the opposite. I believe educating them in healthy food options and providing healthy foods is a better approach. Of course, if I had been RAW all along, then obviously the kids would be too!!lol

All baby steps!! My first reaction was to just pull everything, but I then thought that is setting myself up for trouble. Little bits, here and there are much more likely to be effective!
So, I've been under a major lifestyle overhaul for the past while, it amazes me how one small change can effect other areas of your life. I'm so excited for what the future holds!!

Well, time to get going with the day. Robbie and Alyssa have been busy building something out of boxes and I told them I would take some pictures. Apparently, they are attempting to build the 30 story school from the show WAYSIDE A very silly show that I don't particularly enjoy, but, it got them thinking and unleashed their creative juices!!

God bless!!
~Penny

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T10:59:00.002-07:00

Feel the love!!
Ok, you all know how much of a BABYWEARING advocate I am, so I just have to share this with ya'll!!

MommyKnows is hosting the Think Love, Think Peanut Shell® Valentine’s Day Giveaway! Go on over and comment and be entered to Win one of two prizes packages each containing a Peanut Shell® Baby Sling and a Peanut Shell® Nursing Cover.

So hurry up and get over there!!

I am still sick, and frankly, sick of being sick!
Grocery shopping tomorrow! Hurray! Umm, okay, that was slightly forced...lol...but I really do enjoy grocery shopping...I just hope I'm feeling a BIT better. I have no idea if my Mom is coming over tomorrow or not....I'm itching to get my hands on my sewing machine!!LOL I want to start up on some more diapers for Matthew. I want to get going on these and these, oh and these and eventually these!
Yeah, I should be busy!!LOL

Have a blessed day!!

Relaxing Sunday

2008-02-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Click here to create your own painting.
Discovered this from Adventures in Babywearing It's pretty cool I think!

Not much on the go today, relaxing is top priority today! Daddy loved his special birthday party yesterday. I will post pics in the Flickr tomorrow sometime. Matthew slept through the night last night....almost 9 hours!! As nice as it is that he slept through the night, I woke up very ummmm...full! Thankfully though because of his 'internal breastmilk quota' he's been making up all morning!!LOL That was only the second time ever he's gone longer than 6hrs! Personally, I almost prefer the nursing every 3hrs...don't think I'm ready for him to sleep right through the night on a regular basis just yet!!

Whats on the agenda this week.........not too much!!LOL My Mom is going to try and get out here for a visit. She's been busily cleaning and has a TON of stuff for me. Books, books and more books!! My sewing machine!! WOOT and some other knick knacks. She is going to try and teach Alyssa the steps after you've casted on, so hopefully Alyssa will be able to enjoy knitting. Alex and Robbie gave a hand at knitting too, however without proper instruction after they had casted on, the needles soon became light sabers!!

Oh, and grocery shopping this week...have to get menus and lists in order.

Well, Matthew is looking for a snack and NAKing doesn't work so well anymore...LOL...he figures he should be able to type too!!

Have a blessed Sunday!
~Penny

Let it snow.......

2008-02-08T14:45:00.001-07:00

I knew it last night...the kids were literally running around in circles screaming...WHILE they're sick and grumpy. This usually means one thing, we're in for a significant weather change! Sure enough, here's what we have today:

The temps are supposed to continue to fall as the day goes on...brrrrrrr!! Yesterday we got slightly above 0C. Ahhh, I love it here!

We have another cold floating through the house again. matthew is sick and I am really praying it doesn't turn into another ear infection...I do not want to go down that road again!

Tomorrow the kids and I are having a surprise birthday party for Daddy! I still have to bake the cake. We are also having lasagna and garlic bread...Daddy's favourite meal!

I also...FINALLY...uploaded some pics into the flickr!! I wish I had a pro account though...I hate deleting pics and all the limitations. Oh well, what do ya do!?

I will be buying a newer sewing maching from my Mom here in a few weeks, i am sooo uber excited! I have a Kenmore one right now, but it spends most of it's time in PMS mode, she does not like thick material or fuzzy stuff (like fleece or wool) and get's all jammed up. I've cleaned her and she's had tune-up, but I think she would just rather sew thinner material like flannel and cotton (which she zips through beautifully!). The one I am getting is a denim machine, so hopefully she'll stand up to my abuse! How I would love to get a serger...one day! Alyssa and I have been trying our hands at knitting. Grrrrr, I think I am just a sewer and not a knitter! Which REALLY sucks because I LOVEEEEEE knitted things! Especially socks in funky colors. One time a few years ago Shellie gave me some and they have JUST begun to wear out. One pair is gone, but the other pair are still clinging to life. They have small holes in the soles, but I can't pair to part with them yet...I just wear a thinner pair of cotton ones underneath!!LOL And to knit longies and sweaters....oh how I dream and long to knit a cardigan in gorgeous browns and pinks.....but no matter how many you tube instructional videos I watch, I cannot get past casting on!
I can cast on just fine, but after I make the 'X' with my needles...I'm done for! I can crochet a beautiful chain...but that is it in that department. Hopefully Alyssa will learn soon!!!

Thankgoodess I can sew though, and I have plans when I get my hands on my new machine!!

Have a blessed Friday!
~Penny

Hiatus

2008-01-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Ummm, so yeah, I've been on hiatus and yes I did in fact forget to mention that on here! What can I say, my brains have permanently seeped out of my facial orifices and sleep is a five letter word around here that could in fact get you kicked in shins should you mention it! Matthew has I so eloquently have put it, upped his 'internal breastmilk quota' to that of a newborn! The song, "can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow..." yeah, THAT song has popped into my mind numerous times at insane hours of the night.

So, anyways. We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Thankfully, no one was sick during that entire week. I know, I was somewhat shocked myself!
I will be uploading some pics to Flickr as soon as I can. Email me at: mama26blessingsATyahooDOTca (changing the appropriate words to the symbols) with your Flickr name and I will add you to my friends list...oh and your name would be helpful too! ;o)

So, why the hiatus? well, as I said awhile back I've been on a journey the last month and a bit. It's an emotional, spiritual type of journey. I don't know where the road is going, but I am enjoying the view along the way. I am growing a much deeper desire for the word and searching Him out. So, without going into some deep reflections before I'm exactly sure what they are, I'll stop there!LOL
For the most part though, I have been just giving myself 100% to my kids, husband and home too much time can easily be waisted on here!LOL I've been completely immersing myself into the world of childhood and they are some amazing people! Of course I knew that all along, but they are all so individual and unique that I sometimes forget just how much and end up getting lost in the hustle and bustle of the daily routine.

In other news, Matthew has started standing on his own, typically right in the middle of a room. He receives so much praise and encouragement from his siblings, I almost feel guilty for poor Alex and Alyssa's first attempts at these accomplishments. Heck, they just had a Mama clapping and saying "C'mon, you can do it". Matthew on the other hand has five others jumping and clapping, cheering him on as if a gold medal depends on it, and he loves every second of it!

Well, the children are playing outside in the snow. Which means they're coming in every two seconds for some reason or another, really I think they spend more time going in and out then they do on actually playing outside, oh well!

here's some links from well written articles for you to check out. I have so many more, but I'll start with these!
Five Best Homeschooling Tips
The 'S' Word
What is, and isn't Unschooling

God bless,
Penny

It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

2007-12-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

First, I just wanted to add a little memorial tribute to baby Hunter who passed away on this day 2 years ago, bless his little soul. For pictures of his precious few days here on earth please visit 25 week angel For those of you who are new to my blog, baby Hunter is my nephew. He was born on December 19th 2005 at just 25weeks gestation. The fight to live was so very strong and he tried so very hard to stay with us here on earth. After just three short days on December 22nd 2005, the Lord wrapped baby Hunter in His big strong arms and carried him home to be with the angels. Baby Hunter left such a huge legacy with us, that will live on forever in our hearts until we are all reunited in heaven. May you rest is peace sweetie, not a day goes by that you are not thought of. You have shown me to not let one day go by without be thankful for your cousins and to squeeze them any chance I get. I love you and I will see you in my dreams.

I'm done my shopping, done getting the food, done baking..done...done...done!!!
All in one week I might add! Although I would much rather do it over the course of a month or two if given the choice, but it just wasn't possible this year with all the illnesses we've had. However, all that is left is wrapping!!
Tomorrow will be a deep clean in the basement and the girls room as well as Robbie's. The basement is in dire need! While down there in the depths of disaster, lies a mountain, rightly named Mt.Laundry. I will attempt with great fierceness and power to tackle it's domain. The fate of my family and their lack of clothing depends on it! Though try as it might to knock me down with it's array of stinky socks and oatmeal covered garb, I will not submit to it's vigor!
NO! I shall conquer and be victorious! My family will not become nudists!!

Today we had a wonderful visit with Auntie Shellie and Uncle Rob and 'K' and 'A' to exchange gifts and just relax and visit. It was so nice to see them, since it's been forever!!LOL I cannot believe how quickly those girls grow!! Funny though, my kids were totally spun out prior to them coming by. While they were here, it was like a lightswitch with the kids! They were quiet and all shy like!!LOL I mean they were running around and yelling and arguing with each other, Mariah had perma-whine happening and then POOF! Auntie Shellie and Uncle Rob walk in and they all sat on the couch or chair silenced! I was about ready to kidnap them and hold them hostage in our house!LOL

Well, I'm off to accomplish a few things around here, you know important stuff, like make myself a huge mug of luxurious hot chocolate..........but first, I will post the holiday menus over in my food blog! Since judging by a few recent emails, this is important stuff to some of you!!(wink!wink!)

God bless!!
~Penny

Silent Night, Holy Night

2007-12-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

Well we're finally over the stomach flu...however over the weekend we discovered that poor Matthew has a double ear infection. So, back on antibiotics he went. The doctor that saw him mentioned that we should talk to our family doctor about the possibility of tubes in his ears.
Thankfully, he seems to be doing better now. I am so very thankful for Zithromax...especially with Matthew whom I typically contemplate launching Tylenol up his butt because of hoe difficult it is to get medicine in him.
So hopefully that is it for illnesses around here...at least until AFTER Christmas anyways.

It's Alyssa's 9th birthday today!1 I cannot believe my 'baby' girl is NINE! Yikes! We celebrated her birthday on the weekend, she chose a huge oreo cookie cake!
Happy birthday sweetie!

We have been super busy baking around here the last couple of days...we've made over 30 dozen cookies! Tomorrow will be some more baking and I'm running out to grab a few things in the evening. It looks like Kerri and I will be able to sneak out for a bit on Friday to squeeze in a few more last minute Christmas things and of course a nice big Latte!!LOL
Then the wrapping frenzy will start!! We decided that the kids will exchange their gifts with one another on Sunday. This way they can enjoy watching each other open them. We get the kids to draw names from a hat. Neat thing is this year, each brother chose a sister and each sister chose a brother! We've never had that happen before, they were super excited about that!

I'm so happy that Bill has almost all of next week off!! It will be sooooo nice to have him home all those days...nice cozy, snuggling, jammie wearing, hot chocolate drinking, sledding, light watching days!!

I am just putting the finishing touches on my Christmas menus and then I will post them on the food blog. We have mostly our traditional foods, but I am trying a few different recipes this year.(shhhhhh, don't tell Bill, he hates change!!)

So far the weather calls for flurries on Christmas Eve, I am really praying their right. For years now, I've wanted snow for Christmas. Big, fluffy snowflakes falling while we go for our traditional Christmas Eve walk....maybe, just maybe this year!!

God bless, Penny

Something Fun!!

2007-12-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

Have fun!!
God bless, Penny

Babywearing Makes the News!

2007-12-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Cool, eh?!?!

Well, we've been blasted with more illness in the house. We had just finally put the cold virus to rest when last Saturday evening (of course 5 min before Bill and I were to leave for his company Christmas Party, thankfully we had a super awesome babysitter who braved it even with the barf!) when Mariah began barfing. Then in true Norovirus spirit, it has hit someone every two days since then. After Mariah it was Matthew who awoke early Monday morning puking. Then last night it was Kayla. Thankfully it only last about 6-8hrs of actual barfing. Now I'm just waiting to see who the next victim will be tomorrow. Right now Robbie is complaining of a sore tummy
which seems to be how it begins, but we'll see.

I haven't even begun my Christmas preparations. No baking, no sewing, no shopping.*sigh* I'm not used to being this far behind this late in the season. There just has been no time with all the sickies we've had! I'm hoping that maybe Kerri and I can hit some stores next Saturday and get some shopping done, we'll see!

We also had Alex's 11th birthday last weekend, I can't believe he is 11! It just doesn't seem that long ago when I became a Mama for the first time.

We are all finished school for winter break. I would've loved to have tried to squeeze in another week, but it was a lost cause. Between barfing kids and being so close to Christmas, it just became in avoidable to start our break.

Oh, and my Mom was broken into last week. It's really sad because she had a lot of very sentimental jewelery stolen. Stuff that you can never replace. She's been trying to recover emotionally as well. So sad. I feel so bad for her.

Well, better run and attempt another lost cause....laundry. Ugh, I am so far behind it is at gross level. I was already behind from having been sick myself with the cold, and all it takes is 2 days and the mountain is crazy.

Oh, there are pics in the Flickr!!
God bless!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!

2007-11-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

Well, it's here...my baby is ONE!!! He was so surprised when everyone sang happy birthday to him when he woke up this morning, then look on his face was priceless!
Anyways, I made a little video montage of his first year, check it out HERE There is sound, so be ready!!

Now, I'm off to finish up my grocery list and ge supper prepared and all that good stuff!!
Have a blessed Thursday!
~Penny

Feeling Rather Nostalgic

2007-11-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

1 year ago tonight I was in the process of being induced with my sweet little man. I cannot believe how quickly a year has gone by, it is truly astonishing. I think back to this night 1 year ago, right about now (9:20pm) I was starting to get pitocin.......*sigh* You can read the birth story HERE

Grocery shopping tomorrow night! Saturday I am taking Alyssa for a mommy and me time. We are going to a salon and getting our hair done! She is so excited, as am I! I'm thinking I may go all out in the haircut department....we'll see! Sunday we are having a small little birthday party for Matthew.

Well, I should get a few more things done before I hit the hay...perhaps my list?!?!?LOL!

God bless, Penny

Howdy!!

2007-11-10T09:21:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody!! I'm here! We're doing good, thankyou for all your emails checking in on us. I've been super busy, both normal busy and also mentally/spiritually busy. I'll fill ya'll in , but for now, I need to clean up around here. Time for some snowmen and winter stuff!! WHOOHOO!!! So if you check back and everything looks wonky, be patient!!

God bless, Penny

Love It!!!!

2007-10-17T21:35:00.000-06:00

Isn't that awesome?!!? Why oh why, can they not show THAT on Sesame Street NOW???
Oh, that's right, it wouldn't be politically correct! We wouldn't want our children exposed to a women feeding her baby in the most natural, perfect way on TV! And my goodness, Buffy even uses the word BREAST in her conversation with Big Bird *GASP* We certainly wouldn't want our children using THAT word! BUT, let's not forget that it's perfectly acceptable to have our children watch barely dressed women exposing themselves as an OBJECT to be desired by men. *puke* Lest we wonder what is wrong with todays kids!(NOT saying that Sesame promotes sexualization in their programming!)

I challenge Sesame Street to put this on in todays programming! You here me Carol-Lynn Parente (executive producer), Tim Carter (producer),
Crsytal Whaley (producer), and all the directors and writers of the Sesame Workshop!!!! Do it!! You were the first to implement children's programming the way you do, be the first to bring it back to wholesome viewing for children! Let the toddlers and pre-schoolers of this generation see Mama's feeding their babies breastmilk, talk about breastmilk, and promote the ONLY most nutritious, most recommended, most natural way to feed an infant. Let 'em see a toddler feeding at his mother's breast, let 'em see a preschooler feeding at her mother's breast. Let a segment showcase a mother saying "I am feeding my baby expressed breastmilk, because breastmilk is the best milk for human babies". Let's get a mother explaining breastmilk to Big Bird again!!!

*stepping off my soapbox...........for now!

God bless, Penny

Miss me?!?!

2007-10-14T09:50:00.000-06:00

Well, here I am to apologize yet again, for being MIA...again! Can you believe the kids are STILL sick?!?! Mind you, they're getting much better, but whoa! Bill has been sick too, and I have been fighting something for a couple of days now. BLECH!

Sooo, what's up with Flickr?!?! Well, I switched all of my pics to friends/family only. I really hated to do that, however with all the crap going on with people stealing pics and using them on Okrut to create profiles...I felt it was necessary. You see, these creeps are stealing pics from Flickr (pics of OUR CHILDREN) that are public and then creating profiles with them. EWWWWW!!! So, better safe than sorry, I made the switch. If you would like to be added, just leave me a comment or email me and I will add you! It's a pain because you will have to log in to view, but this is serious. I don't know if anyone stole some of my pics, but they did steal some of Chris's and I don't want the risk.

Grrr, doesn't anyone respect Copyrights anymore?? These people figure because the pics are public, that means they're welcome to take them and use them as they wish!
My next step I am in the process of, is adding a watercolor mark to my pics.

Ok, 'nuff of that.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner! My Mom, Grandma, and my mom's boyfriend all came. The turkey was Fab-U-licious! Everyone left with VERY full tummies! Alex and I had a smallish food fight...with Cool Whip! (There are pics in the Flickr!!) Too funny! It was a lot of fun and nice and quiet at the same time. This was the first dinner that my Mom's boyfriend came to. Bill and I are very cautious as to how we handle inviting boyfriends/girlfriends over for family functions. We want to send a very clear message to our kids that relationships are serious and not something that you can change on a whim. My Mom and Bruce have been together for about 5 yrs or so, and this was his first dinner! It was a nice visit and the kids really liked Bruce or Grandpa Bruce as they called him! I really think that because we let the children get to know 'about' him very, very slowly prior to introducing him, made a big difference. Bill and I are firm on this and it applies to all family and friends. Some agree and some do not, but that is their prerogative, we are the parents and we call the shots. Although, the majority of our parental choices are against mainstream and hard for others to understand sometimes!!LOL We research and talk and make a decision together as parents, as husband and wife. Sometimes I have had to be the one to do the research and come up with the reasons behind a choice I want us as a family to make (such was the case with homeschooling) and then 'present my case' to Bill. Then we discuss and go from there! I love this aspect of our marriage, we can discuss a myriad of issues and work together towards a resolution. Bill being bluntly honest and not always thinking before he speaks, and I typically afraid to speak the truth for fear of hurting someones feelings, we make a good team! He shows me how speak up and I show him (sometimes!!LOl) how to tame his tongue.

It's funny because through the course of my life I swing from one side to the other, from being a child who freely said what she was feeling to a preteen who was quiet and wrote poems and stories, to a outspoken teenager to a passive aggressive young adult and I have been there for quite sometime now. However, as I approach 30, I feel a change coming forth. I am getting more comfortable in speaking the reasons behind the why's in my life. (Why homeschool? Why so many kids? Why? Why? Why?) I am also finding ways to tame my own tongue and not lash out a people for their somewhat rude comments. I have the choice at those moments, I choose how I will feel, react and respond. I also choose the emotion I feel, I can choose to be hurt or sad. People do not MAKE you feel this way. You can choose to be, or not to be, around people that may make it easy for you to feel sad or hurt by their comments. I have been making an extra conscious effort to surround myself with people who I am not always in the position to question how should feel or react.

Of course, this is difficult in a public setting, such as grocery shopping or what have you. In those positions, I am trying very hard to respond in a positive manner and leave it at that. I am not going to 'carry with me' others comments or interpretations of me based on a split second meeting. This is hard, because I can't help but roll my eyes or get angry at some of the comments. In time though, it will get easier. I think the biggest thing I've found to work the best is, to not let that gap in time where someone can jet in their negative opinion during a conversation. Just keep it upbeat and positive and straight forward.

Oddly enough, that applies to all aspects of life! Upbeat, positive and straight forward!! :o)

Onto my upcoming week. Grocery shopping tomorrow night, which means (insert: lightbulb above my head) I have to make my list and menu's!!
I have to get Matthew in to have his ears checked again (he ended up with a second ear/chest/sinus infection and needed another bout of antibiotics) hopefully they're all clear now! I have to get on the phone to doctors and dentists and optometrists, and get appointments booked. Put the finishing touches an any Halloween costumes that may need it. Finish up modules in school to get the kids ready to hand in. It is time to start getting Christmas lists ready and figure out what I making this year. I LOVE this season!!

Well, I have ten loads of laundry waiting patiently for me in the basement! (Oh, and grocery lists and menu's to make!)
Have a blessed day!!
~Penny

The Return

2007-09-23T19:44:00.000-06:00

Hey!! Did ya'll miss me??
Sorry for the super long hiatus, it wasn't a purposeful thing! Life just kind of got in the way of computer time. Hmmm, let's see....what has gone on since my last post. Had my birthday on the 12th, didn't do anything in particular. We went for a meeting for Habitat for Humanity. More about that at a later time. Then that weekend we had a birthday celebration for Kayla. (the pics are in the Flickr already) Matthew took sick the entire time from my last post. I ended up taking him to the drs on the 18th. Turned out that he had a double ear infection, a sinus infection, a chest infection and his one eye was infected from all the mucous from his sinuses. Poor little guy! Amazingly, he was still eating really good and still a happy little guy. The only reason I took him in was because he'd had the cold longer than 10days and the mucous from his nose had changed color.(yup, a nice fluorescent green!). Thank goodness I listened to my Mama intuition! He's just about done his antibiotics now and doing much better. He's working on his top front teeth, so I am pretty certain we'll have some new teeth in the next week or so!

Had the Used Toy and Clothing sale on Saturday. It was an awesome turn out! I was looking for some snowpants for Mariah and Kayla and a snowsuit for both Matthew and Alyssa. Can you believe there wasn't any! I did find both Alex and Robbie snowpants, as well as some miscellaneous jammies for the girls. I also found Matthew some clothes. I had a tremendous blssing from a lady that my mom works with! She has two children, a boy and a girl. The boy is 2.5yrs and the girl is in ECS. She handed down to us some clothing that they had outgrown, I will be able to use a lot of it. So, now thanks to her and my sweet cyber sister Misty, Matthew is doing much better in the clothing department for the fall and winter season! I can't imagine what would happen without the generosity of friends/family and Freecycle! I am so blessed to have everyone in my life. I personally LOVE hand-me-downs for both myself and the kids! I also found a winter jacket for myself as well as some t-shirts at the sale! I did get 3 pairs of pants for myself too, but two of the pants are too big. One pair should fit..at least they only cost me a dollar each!!LOL

So to finish off my fall/winter clothing inventory, I need to get Alyssa some pants, a snowsuit, and some boots. Mariah needs some snowpants and boots. Matthew needs a snowsuit and some socks. Everyone needs hats and mitts. I think that's it, although I am sure I've missed something!!LOL

We also started our school year on the 17th!! So far so good, I have been taking it slow to start off with them, seems to work the best. I'll post about what we're learning soon, as well s finish up my 'Making Mornings Easier' post (it is still sitting in my drafts!!LOl)

This week....grocery shopping on Friday. Hoping for a girls night with Kerri this week too. Saturday I am planning on going to the Breastfeeding challenge in our city!! I'm really, really hoping to make it. I have wanted to be a part of one for some time now. So we'll see. I want to make sure everyone is feeling good first!

Well, time to finish getting everyone tucked into bed!
Have a blessed Sunday evening!
~Penny

Prayer For Beverly

2007-09-07T11:23:00.000-06:00

Please go over and let her know you are praying for her:
Beverly's Site

Also, any of you graphic making Mama's out there....would someone be willing to make her a graphic to add to our blogs? Or if you know there is one already somewhere, please let me know!! She is a wonderful MOMYS and a wonderful testament to the Lord's faith!

We believe in Miracles too!!

The time has arrived for my yearly stock-up on.....

2007-09-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

Triaminic, Vicks Vapo Rub, Tylenol (caplets,dissolving tabs and liquid), Otrivin (for me), and of course a vast array of vitamins.

Yup, it's that time of year. Personally, I would rather walk around spraying everyone in Lysol and donning a surgeons mask and sterile gloves. Unfortunately, that is not really possible. So, I walk around spraying my house in Lysol, washing with bleach and keeping the medicine cupboard filled with the essentials.

The downside, this year the germs got to us before I had a chance to stock up! It started last night, Mariah, Kayla and Matthew are first on the list. (I have a headache and a scratchy throat, but I am ignoring it right now...call it denial)
So Bill will have to do a quickie stop after work. Just so as I don't receive any hate mail about filling my children with unnecessary medication, rest assured, I use it for two reasons 1. so they can sleep and 2.so I can sleep. I figure I don't like to lie there in pain, why should my kids? Nuff said!

Onto other things! Nothing on the go for us this weekend...errr should I say me!!LOL I will most likely be snuggling children and drinking ~~vodka~~ Nyquil and trying to keep everyone happy or at least happy as one can be while coughing up vital organs. Where was I going with that?!?! oh yeah! Bill has plans this weekend, nothing fun mind you, but he'll be busy!!LOL

I'm going to attempt to write up a brief little somethin', somethin' in the homeschool blog all about making mornings easier!! Not just for homeschooling either!! Of course this will happen in between nosewiping, water giving, "You're going to be ok, it's just a cold" line giving!!

One final note, a funny! I was taking Mariah's temperature this morning (at the insane hour of 4:40am, which once upon a time was bedtime in a previous life!!LOL) and it beeped indicating she had a fever (my thermometer takes the temperature on the forehead, some sort of infared technology. I'm just happy I don't have to launch no mercury filled tube up my kids butt!) I said "Yup, sweetie you've got a fever." while saying this I motheringly pressed the palm of my hand on her forehead and she then placed her hand on top of mine. She looks at me with sheer worry in her eyes "I go look in da mirror?", thinking she had some sort of something branded on her forehead!!!LOL
well, time to hit replay on the Dora DVD!!
Have a blessed Friday! Penny

Works For Me Wednesday

2007-09-05T22:32:00.000-06:00

Rocks in My Dryer

This week we are sharing our Brandname Items that we feel are worth spending the extra pennies on! Here's my list!!

*Kraft Peanut Butter* We go through a lot of peanut butter (2kgs every 2 weeks to be exact) and while it typically costs me a good $2-$4 more than the generic, it's worth it. too many times I've 'cheaped' out and bought the generic only to have my family moan and complain because it's all separated and tastes like wood. I figured the amount that would get wasted was costing just as much as my spending it on the real deal!!

*Smuckers Seedless Jam* well, you got to have jam with the peanut butter!! Other brands have either been too sweet or just chunks of gunk. We do not like chunks of fruit in our jam and so far, Smuckers is the only brand I have found here that sells a seedless kind. The kicker? For a 500ml jar it costs $2.37. Now that may not seem to bad, however I go through about two jars a week!!!oi!!!

*Kraft Macaroni and Cheese* Nothing can beat the fluorescent noodles and cheese that comes in that Blue box!! I buy a case of 12 for around $10.00 every two weeks. The generic brand would cost me $5.00. I've tried to sneak it by the tastebuds of my family, but alas, they always figure me out!!

*Heinz Ketchup* Another one I can't get past my scrupulous family's tastebuds is generic ketchup (or catsup for some of you!!) and really, I have to agree! The other taste like vinegar!!Blech!!

*Charmin or Purex Toilet Paper* Nuff said!! Anything else, you may as well use the tissue paper from the craft box! One little exception here, I do buy el cheapo for our main bathroom for two reasons: 1. the kids don't notice and 2.that toilet cannot handle anything other than tissue paper thin toilet paper with the amount it gets flushed per day!

*Gain Laundry Soap* I do love Tide, however my family is allergic to it. Once upon a time I thought that it may have all been in my husbands 'head' and washed all his clothes in it. Uh-huh, yeah, he really is allergic to it and broke out in a rash!! Whoops!!Gain works good and smells divine...only the original though. I've never been one for the Tango anyways!!
I have an uncontrollable obsession with laundry products and I have a collection of my favourites that I use at any given time, so I'll just list them here in this category!!LOL
*Fleecy Extra Fresh Fabric Softener
*Downey Lavander Scent fabric softener
*Good ol fashioned Javex lemon fresh fabric guard bleach
*Dual action stain remover by, Spray 'n' Wash
*Fleecy fabric softener Vanilla scent sheets
*Purex Baby Soft laundry soap (for Matthew's stuff and his diapers)
*Gain original scent fabric softener
I warned you!! I switch it around to whatever smells good at the time!

*Smart Bread* the 'white' whole wheat bread! This kills me to buy at almost $3.99 per loaf. But when I can, it's worth it. Everyone here (except for Alyssa and Alex) LOVES white bread. If I can't buy it, I will but whole wheat Wonder Bread.

So, there ya have it! I'm sure there are a few more. When I shop at Real Canadian Superstore I can usually buy brand name products at pretty close to generic prices. If not, their store brand is pretty good quality, with the exception of the above mentioned of course!!

God Bless, Penny

There are surprises everywhere....sometimes

2007-09-04T13:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was downstairs doing laundry (now there is something new!!) and I had brought Matthew downstairs with me. A few times I glanced over at him, it appeared that he was chewing something. I would go over to wherever he had crawled to and ever so carefully launch my finger in his mouth to feel around for something. Nothing. Granted, I do have to preform this search very quickly, otherwise he will clamp down on my finger and baby teeth are razor sharp!

This morning I walked into his room and was instantly slammed in the face with an overwhelming smell of poo (oh yeah you know where this going, don't you?!?!) Ahhhh, top o' the mornin' to ya. I now know what my first duty of the day will entail, disposing of something that really should have some sort of Toxic Waste symbol on it. As I am changing him and trying very hard not to breathe, I noticed that there are lot's of colors mixed in with the mess. Not normal, "Oh I had corn to eat" colors. These are bright fluorescent colors and odd shapes. So, I do what any mother would do and began to search through the poo. In between gasping for air, of course. I discover that mixed with his toxic spill, is this:
1 Bratz earring, 1 barbie bright pink high heeled shoe, 13 multicolored beads in the shapes of hearts and cylinders, and one very large ball of carpet fuzz.

Matthew apparently found a feast whilst we were in the basement! I am so thankful that he, um, swallowed everything without incident. He takes the 'cake' with things swallowed at our house. Previous standings had Robbie at the bottom from swallowing a dime, next was Alyssa for swallowing a Quarter, then we had Mariah in at the top for swallowing a nut/bolt combination. Matthew is now the leader, having swallowed the contents of Barbie's suitcase!
Then of course the inevitable question, "Can we wash them and have them back?"
Ummmm, "NO!!!!!" ewwww! "awww, but Mom they went through his digestive system...cool!!" Ummmm. "NOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Just another day, folks. Just another day.

God bless, Penny

I'm so glad I'm not the only one....

2007-09-02T22:23:00.000-06:00

First of all, before you read this:
-put down and do not drink ANYTHING
-go to the bathroom...just DO IT!
Now, go and read: Ebay Auction

Ok, how was that? Love it!!

if you would like to visit her blog:
mom2my6pack

Have a blessed evening!!
Penny

Happy Friday!!

2007-08-31T10:21:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, Labour Day weekend! The last day of August and the month is over! Tomorrow marks the beginning of my favourite season!! My birthday is in 11 sleeps! I will be 29, the last year of my 20's. Oddly enough I still feel the same on the inside as I did when I was 19....hmmmmm....maybe I haven't matured at all!!!LOL Speaking of birthdays, today my Daddy would've been 58 yrs old. It's hard to imagine him that age and what he would be like right now. Alex said he's celebrating his birthday in heaven with the angels. I sure hope so.

On the agenda for today.....Alex is doing a clean sweep on his room. He wanted to switch his room around as well. My hallway looks as though his room threw-up. Mariah has been irritating him non-stop by touching everything. Kayla and Alyssa are super grumpy today, don't know what is up with them.

Auntie Kandie is coming tonight. She is going to watch everybody but Matthew and Bill and I are going to go grocery shopping. Should be riveting...LOL! He hates grocery shopping!!

I'm going to try really hard to get the list up this afternoon.......but first, Matthew is requesting a morning snack and then I think it'll be his naptime.(not to mention a few others around here!!)

Have a blessed Friday!!
~Penny

Works For Me Wednesday

2007-08-29T10:03:00.000-06:00

Rocks in My Dryer, for more great tips and tricks

okay, so my tip isn't that spectacular but it has saved me numerous times while we have been on an extremely tight budget.
I love to bake, but a lot of recipes need eggs and on a tight budget, this can become expensive. So here's what I do, I make 'fake' eggs!! Here's the recipe for it:
This will yield ONE egg:
2 tbsp of water
2 tbsp of flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
Combine in a separate container and then add.

This works excellent in all kinds of baked goods, muffins, pancakes, cakes, and anything else that needs eggs! This way you can save the REAL eggs for Fried Eggs and omelets!!
Works for me!!
God bless, Penny

Some Good Advice

2007-08-29T09:12:00.000-06:00

Oh my, I love these gals!! Do you need some fall fashion advice? Grab a cup of coffee and log onto Boomama and Bigmama these Southern Mama's cover it all!! Of course, for this Northern Chickie, I got the biggest kick out of the accents!! Although, it raises the case, do I have an accent?

Up on the plate today, is the girls clothes......I may need another cup of tea (maybe if I steep it for an hour I will squeeze some caffeine out of it)
I will also be doing more baby proofing. You would think that after 5 kids, when the 6th came around my house would be baby proofed and it is to the most part. Just mind the Lego's and Bratz shoes (err feet?!!?) the Bionicle parts. However, he has learned like the others, now that he can crawl, he can fend for himself in the food department. Breakfast can be found under the dining room table and on the kitchen floor. Good stuff!

Have a blessed Wednesday!!
Penny

The show will go on!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

I heard back from the Used Toy and Clothing sale coordinator and God bless her heart, she will hold a table for me!!! I could have reached through the computer screen and kissed her!!!

This week is all planned out as usual! Today I am finishing up a few things in Matthew's closet, and figuring out a new storage idea for his cloth diapers.
Tomorrow will be the attack on the girls clothing! Time for a summer/fall switch! I'm a little earlier this year (I think anyways?!?!) then I will inventory who and what they need. That will most likely take the day....why yes, of course I will take pics!! Thursday is our Last Lake day of the summer. Kerri and her kiddo's are joining us!! Who by the way, have joined the ranks of being a homeschooling family!!!WOOT!!!
Friday is a general cleanup sort of day, probably do a bit in Robbie's closet. My mom is coming to look after the older kiddies while I go grocery shopping with my not-so-patient husband. My mom has to work the rest of the weekend and felt that going grocery shopping would be too tiring. Saturday will be a continuation of cleanup and laundry. Auntie Kandie is coming over for a visit and a sleepover on Saturday night. Then it is Sunday again, it's a long weekend, so Bill will be home on Monday and I plan on relaxing! okay, maybe doing some organizing because I cannot control myself!!LOL

I am creating a Homeschool blog, which you can access via the link on the top right hand side..labled..umm..homeschool blog. It's not much now, but I did add a bunch of links!! Oh, and there are menu's up in the foodblog as well. I am aiming to have the list put up either tonight or tomorrow night as well.

Well, time to get back to work...but first I will be making a big mug of tea....no it is not coffee. I have one Maxwell thingy left and no filters for my other ground coffee. Must conserve the liquid gold!

Have a blessed Tuesday!
Penny

For my love and devotion to cows

2007-08-27T19:12:00.000-06:00

I have loved cows since I was 10yrs old. I collect the things and yes, as a matter of fact I do own cow dishes! My kitchen has numerous cow paraphernalia ranging from pictures to clocks. I am happy with anything cow, most particularly Holsteins. Jersey's are nice, Guernsey and Ayrshire's and Brown Swiss as well. However this one.......she takes the cake and I love her!!
I *heart* Beatrice

Have a blessed evening!! :o)
~Penny

Just for fun

2007-08-27T11:06:00.000-06:00

Okay, I promise I do a real post soon!! trying to get things done around here!! OH, Matthew started crawling yesterday!!Awww, so bittersweet for this Mama!!
********************************************
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:

their newborn/newly adopted children and workers....
*taken from a pamphlet on Maternity/Sickness benefits.

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can...what do you touch first?
a lamp

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

The weather network, this morning

4. WITHOUT LOOKING, what time is it?
just about 11am

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
11:10am, not too bad!

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Robbie and Alyssa cheering MAtthew on with his crawling, Alex banging something downstairs, Mariah telling him to stop, Kayla asking if it's luchtime yet, the radio on downstairs and Matthew going "Dadadadadadada"

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
Last night...and I'm not telling!!LOL

8. Before you came to this website, what were you looking at?
Sandra's website!!

9. What are you wearing?
basic jeans, pink tee and a pink hoodie

10. What did you dream last night?

I was having very weird dreams, and I can't even remember anything other than glimpse's here and there!!LOL

11. When did you last laugh?
A little while ago when MAtthew crawled over and pulled down the toy bin and had a puppet land on his head!!LOL

12. What's on the walls of the room you're in?
Fingerprints, posters, pictures of wolves and other animals, more fingerprints!!

13. Seen anything weird lately?
The stories I could tell!! Too many to name here!

14. What do you think of this survey?
More importantly, what do YOU think of this survey?!?!

15. What's the last film you saw?
In theatres, Illusionist and on DVD, Wild Hogs

16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
Tithe 10% between church and other causes. Invest enough away so as my children and family would never have to worry about money (but NOT be spoiled) buy land and build on it for family (what a dream come true for a Nana!! All my grandbabies close by!!)and buy a van so we could all go for a drive again (have not done that since Nov.10th 2006) and have a home similar to the Duggars, but a bit smaller (I despise huge houses, even if I needed it!!) but I would love a laundromat style laundry room and a restaurant style kitchen (just the appliances like a industry sized dishwasher, stove, oven and sinks) and one huge girls room and one huge boys room. I would also get farm animals (chickens, cows and horses) build a garden big enough for us to live off of. Buy a pasta maker, deep fryer, and new towels!!LOL Oh and a never ending gift card to Second Cup and Starbucks, an entire hunting get-up for Bill (a new rifle and a bow and an outfitters tent and a cool ATV...his hunting helps to provide YUMMY meat so it's always worth it!!)

17. State something about yourself most people don't know...
I am so very simple, I do not like flashy or extravagant things. I never wanted a big wedding or a big house. I would rather do things the hard way and like to get my hands dirty with work. I love to read medical terminology type books and the Thesaurus is always an excellent read. I also like to learn how to fix things around the house and in cars. Hmmm, what I'm really trying to say is I am a GEEK!!

18. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you change?
That all people were saved and live for Jesus. I totally second this Sandra!!!

19. Do you like to dance?
I love to dance, I don't think I am very good at it mind you!!LOL

20. What is one trip you would like to take right now?

I'm not much of a traveler, but if I could go anywhere right now it would be to BC to see my Mother-in-Law and give her a big hug and kiss and sit and have tea with her. I would love to make her and my Father-in-Law a nice yummy meal and clean their house for them, so they could just relax and enjoy each other.

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?
If I was in a different life, being a missionary would be awesome. I would also love to be with orphans and in the orphanages or helping new Mama's get started with breastfeeding and parenting.

Okay, back to reality!!LOL
Have a blessed Monday!
~Penny

Somethin' FUN!

2007-08-25T21:20:00.000-06:00

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist.

People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you.

You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words.

Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

Your Biblical Name Is...

Nitzana Kadisha

You will live to see the end of times.

What's Your Biblical Name?

Your Inner Blood Type is Type B

You follow your own rules in life, even if you change the rules every day.
Sure, you tend to be off the wall and unpredictable, but that's what makes you lovable.
And even though you're a wild child, you have the tools to be a great success.
You are able to concentrate intently - and make the impossible possible.

You are most compatible with: B and AB

Famous Type B's: Leonardo Di Caprio and

What's Your Inner Blood Type?

You Are a Visual Learner

You tend to remember what you see, and you have a good eye for aesthetics.
You excel at art, design, and computer programming.
You would be an excellent film director - or the next Bill Gates!

What's Your Learning Style?

Interesting!
Have a blessed weekend! Penny

Me and My Man Survey

2007-08-23T11:39:00.001-06:00

Got this from: amandaamysmom blog

just for fun!
THE “ME AND MY MAN” SURVEY: Copy and fill in your info...fun!

1. Names? Bill and Penny

2. How long have you been together? 13yrs together, 11yrs of that married

3. Dating/Engaged/Married/Naked/Undecided? Married

4. How old is he/she? I'm 28(just about 29) he's 34

5. What’s his/her middle name?

♥You or your man*

1. Who eats more? He does

2. Who said “I love you” first? he did

3. Who weighs more? He does

4. Who sings better? hmmm, me?

5. Who’s Older? He is

6. Who’s smarter? Depends on what we're discussing!

7. Who’s temper is worse? his

8. Who does the laundry? me

9. Who does the dishes? me

10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me

11. Who’s feet are bigger? His

12. Who’s hair is longer? Mine

13. Who’s better with the computer? Me

14. Who mows the lawn? he does

15. Who pays the bills? me

16. Who cooks dinner? me

17. Who drives when you are together? him because I don't have my license

18. Who pays when you go out to dinner? He'll pay the check but it comes from our account

19. Who’s the most stubborn? me

20. Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? Him, see number 19

21. Who’s parents do you see more? Mine

22. Who named your dog? when we did, it was me

23. Who kissed who first? I kissed hime first because the bottle landed at him!.

24. Who asked who out? just kind of happened

25. Who disciplines the kids more? Me

26. Who’s more sensitive?Me

27. Who’s taller? He is

28. Who has more friends? me

29. Who has more siblings? both have the same

30. Who wears the pants in the relationship? he does....cause I let him think he does!!LOL

Too funny!!
Have a blessed Thursday! Penny

A Better Day!

2007-08-22T13:50:00.000-06:00

The great thing about days...they DO end and there's another one!
Thankyou for your kind words everyone, I'm sorry that some of you have had to go through a suicide from a family member or a friend. It hurts.

I'm so thankful for my hunny Kerri!! We had a good time last night, even if it's just wandering around!! I'm glad to have been away from the house for a few hours!!LOL And my coffee was awesome!

Today has been a bit more productive, been busy cleaning (why yes, that IS all I do!!) good thing I actually enjoy cleaning!! Managed to give the bathrooms a scrub down and spraying! Garbage's are done, AM dishes are done. Laundry is on the go. I've totally fallen off my laundry routine wagon...I try and get caught up and get back onto my schedule, and then it all falls apart again. I guess that means it's time to revamp it again!

Grocery shopping tomorrow night, lake day on Friday! Our last lake day on a Friday this summer!! can you believe that?!? This summer flew by!
But then comes my favourite season! September 1st-January 1st, my favourite months!!
It's almost time to get some fall decorations happening around here and I also want to add some new sites to visit!

September also means time to get fall cleaning done around here too. Carpets done, furnace and vents done. Blinds and curtains washed...the list goes on! First on the list is the homeschool cupboard. I really need to find a small cupboard somewhere. I'm thinking like a pantry type thing....hmmmm. I also need to get some bins.......
I'm thinking I may dedicate a blog strictly for my organizing. A place where I can keep lists of what the kids have for clothing and what I need to get...not my daily lists of stuff I don't think, but my more permanent lists. I keep making them and then 'somebody' takes them and uses them for artwork!

Well, my buzzer just went off on the dryer...time to switch!!!
Have a blessed Wednesday!!!

In Loving Memory........

2007-08-21T16:11:00.000-06:00

When I close my eyes really tight, I can hear you laugh.
When I peer through the darkness, I can see your smile.
When I breathe in deeply, I can still smell your cologne.

I hate this walk without you, I miss you so much.
I never knew the demons were too much for you to bear all alone.
I can't go back and make it better, I can only try and make sure it doesn't happen again.
I can only hope that where you are now, your soul can rest easy and you are at peace.

So many things I wish I could've said, so many times I've traced over.
What if? What if? What if?
Unfortunately, it's the reality of the ones left behind. Left to pick up the pieces, try to carry on. They say it'll get easier as time goes on, but I'm not so sure.
The tears still come as they did that day. The heart still aches the same way.
I forgive you for not knowing a better way to ask for help.

As days go by, we remember you through a song that plays on the radio. A movie or even a smell. I see your smile in your grandson and your mischievousness in your grand daughter. Most of all, I find a lot of you in me. as much as most children would hate to find themselves with that trait....I savour it and smile to myself.

May you rest in peace Daddy and I miss you sooooo much and love you more!!
Terry Lynn, August 31st 1949-August 21st 1995

*Suicide is the permanent solution to a temporary situation. Please if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or at a loss PLEASE get help. No problem is EVER to big and worth you ending your life over. There IS always tomorrow and there IS always a better solution. The pain that it leaves for your family and friends is sooooo much worse than dealing with the problem.

Happy Monday!

2007-08-20T11:59:00.000-06:00

There are FINALLY pics in the Flickr!!!

But, here, as promised is the new 'do pic!!!

I was trying to get a good angle!!LOL
Oh and the floor after she was done cutting!!

Our anniversary was nice!! We went to a restaurant we'd never been to before, and will not go back to!!LOL It was nice though and quiet. I enjoyed a couple 'adult' beverages. (two After Eights!YUM!!) Then we went over to a neighbours house and sat by the fire and had a couple of drinks and laughs!! It was really nice being out with my sweetie!! I'm such a dork and never thought to bring my camera!!LOL

The day before that, we went on an adventure to Zellers for the day. It went pretty good. it's a super long walk for these guys, but they made it! We went to McDonalds for lunch. It was the kids first trip to McDonalds this year!!! So they were pretty excited!

I am STILL waiting for the Junk lady...sigh. The guy finally dropped off our furniture, but didn't bother to tell us he had dropped it off, so I have no idea how long it has sat outside for, but now it smells and has been rained on! Grrrrrrr!!!

I'm trying to work miracles for the Used Toy and Clothing sale. Why? well of course the night that the tables go on sale, is the exact night that we have our first meeting for Habitat for Humanity! I can't be in two places at the same time!!GRRRR!! So I don't know how I'll be able to work that out....I REALLY depend on these sales BUT I really need to be at this meeting....The fall sale this year has been extended too!! They used to be from 10am-1pm, but this year it's on from 10am-4pm!!

Have a blessed day!! Penny

Hellllllloooooooo!!!!

2007-08-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

Did you miss me? Crazy days I tell ya! I'm also trying to keep myself busy and hope that this month will go by quickly....halfway there!! My baby is 9 mos old today!! Can you believe it??? Nah, me neither! I have full intentions of taking some pics of him later, must do!!

Nothing has really gone according to plan either the last week. The junk lady still has not come, nor returned any of my calls. the people who were going to bring me the furniture from Freecycle still have not. My groceries were terrible. The yoghurt's had expiry dates from July 20th, the orange juice and toothpaste had both expired. I had to wait until yesterday for them to deliver more appropriate stuff. My hair is pretty good (I'll post pics soon, promise!!) I'm still trying desperately to figure out how to style it. i mean, if I had like 2hrs in the morning to dedicate to blow drying and flat ironing I'd be fine. However, I am lucky if I can go potty without being bombarded in the morning. With the length it is, my curls have taken over!!LOL I have had to learn how to work with them. my hair was always so heavy, it pulled a lot of the curl right out!

Friday is a scheduled lake day and then Bill is taking me out for dinner on Friday night for our anniversary. Hopefully I've figured out something with my hair by then!!! I love getting all dressed up all girly, so I am looking forward to going on a date with my sweetie. This will be the first time we've been out since last September, without a baby and on an actual date. (not just my dentist appointments!!) I really hope Matthew will be alright. I have over 16ozs of milk frozen and ready, he drinks from his sippy cup really good, so I am hoping!!!

Oh and you'll notice on the side up near the top here there is a mp3 player loaded with a few songs I LURVE!!! You'll also notice that I have a very diverse taste in music and yes some of it is secular. I'm sure a few songs will date me pretty good, others may surprise!! You can skip through songs or listen right through and of course stop it!! I was good and withheld putting any New Kids on the Block on there!!!LOL They were the one and only TRUE boy band out there!!!ROFL!!

well, I really need to get off my butt and get busy with the rest of the stuff around here!! Have a blessed Wednesday!!!
Penny

Where did this week go??

2007-08-08T15:42:00.000-06:00

The summer is flying by at an insane rate! I blink and there is another week GONE!
It was a long weekend here and Bill and I worked so hard getting things done around here. Tightening taps and replacing valves, fixing doors etc. Tuesday a very dear friend of mine came over with her two little ones. Her and I have known each other since we were 3 years old!! A lot of history!!LOL We had lost touch for the past 7 or so years and had a lot of catching up to do. The kids all had a good time as well.

Then later that evening we had a meeting to go over our Life Insurance.

Today i have been waiting for the junk lady to come and take away some broken furniture and stuff too big for the garbage men to take. I'm also waiting for the delivery of a hide-a-bed and chair off of Freecycle and for the person who wants my stuff to come and pick it up! Tomorrow is the big day..errrr..night I guess!!LOL The hair gets chopped!! I'm terrified, but in a good way.

Then Friday I am babysitting a friends little girls, so no lake day, but it's okay next week!! I am also having my groceries delivered that morning, then it's the weekend again!!
Oh, I posted the menus for this week (used my magic to change the date on it again!!LOL) as well as my grocery list for Friday, I will post the menus for that later.
Well, time to go switch another load of laundry!!
Have a blessed Wednesday!!
Penny

It's August

2007-08-02T09:14:00.000-06:00

My least favourite month of the year. I dread this month every year and at the same token, I look forward to it. It's my anniversary month, some good and some bad. The good parts are mine and Bill's anniversary, 11 years this year!!! It's also our anniversary since we began dating, 13 years this year!! It's also the anniversary of my father's suicide, which no matter how many years pass, is still so painful. I still go through the anger/sadness cycle, 12 years later.

He would've been 58 years old this month (it's his birthday on Aug.31st) and I know he would have LOVED being a grandpa. It's like that day only happened yesterday, I remember every single part of it. I guess I always will. He loved kids so very much and was a goofy kind of dad. He never got really angry, just always said there are consequences for every action. He took me to get my ears pierced for the first time when I was 4yrs old. He took me to a park almost everyday when I was little(in the spring summer). He took me for long rides on his motorcycle. He took me swimming every Thursday night, to the wave pool. he made me a swing in the tree in front of our house long ago. he taught me to ride my two wheeler and was there to congratulate me when I did it. So many memories, now I just find myself telling the kids these stories and I guess that is how I will keep him alive, through me and my memories.

Well, I have so much that I need to get done today and I haven't started. Bill still hasn't told me what my exact budget is for groceries, so I don't have my list complete yet(yes, I am in charge of the budget, but I had asked him how much he needed for the week....*sigh*). I have some laundry to get done, dishes to finish, a floor that needs vacuuming (with my broken vacuum, the belt snapped last night), sigh. Then my Mom will be here sometime near dinner and then we're off to get groceries...errrrrr...Vanilla Latte first!! then I will come home, put the groceries away and pack Bills lunch and get stuff ready for the food part for tomorrow at the lake. It's too bad that I need sleep, I would be so much more efficient if I could go without sleep!!

Hmmm, guess I am not going to get much accomplished while I sit here and talk about it, now am I?!?!
If I find out what my budget is soon enough, I will post a list in the food blog.
Have a blessed Thursday!!
Penny

Something Else You Might Like!! Gymboree Contest!!

2007-08-01T15:42:00.000-06:00

Click on the above pic and go get entered over at Love Shak, Baby to win one of two $250 gift cards to Gymboree! That would be a HUGE blessing here, especially from their sales racks!! *crossing fingers*

God bless, Penny

Make your own Mei Tai

2007-08-01T11:28:00.000-06:00

Okay so you all have heard me rave over my Mei Tai's now here's your chance to make your own. Choose some funky fabric, and get going!! I'm waiting for my dream fabric before I set out to make one. Have fun!!! And wear that Baby!!

'Economical Baby' Mei Tai instructions

You will also find a whole smorgasbord of lovely things to make on her site...she's 'sew' inspirational!!LOl I know, I'm too funny!!!

have fun! God bless!

What does one do with 4 litres of juice??

2007-08-01T10:16:00.000-06:00

I'll tell you what, they dump on the floor!

and

Yup, that's exactly what you do.
Unfortunately, I don't have a child at fault. Nope my friends, it was ME!!!
Ug, for whatever reason my blonde dorky brain allowed me to pick up the HUGE 4L jug by the spout and down to the floor it went and off the lid flew, spewing juice EVERYWHERE! of course because our house is lopsided, the juice instantly runs towards the other side of the kitchen, hence the towels. And of course, I would have to use ALL the towels I JUST washed (that were conveniently sitting beside the kitchen in a laundry basket all clean and ready to put away)
I won't even get into the comments from the kids, I am sure you can imagine though.

Tomorrow is Thursday and grocery day, which means Vanilla Latte, which means I will make it through today. For now though, I must go wash the floor....again. *sigh*

God bless, Penny

It's a MakeOver!!

2007-07-31T11:31:00.000-06:00

Got this idea from Misty and thought since this is what I am doing next Thursday the 9th, this would be fun to try out!!
What do you think?
A

or B

I'm not 100% what I'll get done, but these are cool to see!! I will most definitely do my own before and after pics...stay tuned!! I haven't had a haircut done in a salon since about 6 yrs ago, so I am a little nervous!!! but I need to go short!
I guess I should really do this virtual thing with a newer pic, maybe I will after!!

Go do one yourself!! Marie claire
Post a link if you do!!
God bless, Penny

Food blog updated and something Fun!!

2007-07-30T22:37:00.000-06:00

I didn't get the grocery list done yet as I don't have a budget yet. I will find out tomorrow and then I will post it.
We were watching Sesame Street and lo and behold what came on?? Ernie and Bert singing and dancing and Ernie WEARING a baby!!WOOT!! I loved it so much I had to take a pic, so excuse the weird look to it!!

I love it!!!!

God bless!!
Penny

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

2007-07-30T08:01:00.000-06:00

For some reason I can't get that cheesy little song Ren and Stimpy used too sing out of my head. On the other hand, I suppose it should be a good thing that I awoke on a Monday morning with a happy tune in my head!!LOL If you ever watched Ren and Stimpy back in the early 90's, you will now have that song stuck in YOUR head!! Or better yet, how about the Log song?!?!Ok, I'll stop getting cheesy songs implanted in your brains!!

What a busy last few days! Hmmmmm, don't I say that every time I get on here?!?! Let's see, Thursday......I don't think anything interesting happened, other than me trying excruciatingly hard to get laundry done! Poor Bill is in terrible need of clothes too! He put on a pair of jeans and the crotch spilt (teehee!!) at least it was along the seam so I can fix that, then his only two pairs of shorts he's worn to work and has got them badly stained with some sort of grease. It all happened because before he started at his OTHER job he was ummmm a little ~~plump~~ ~~squishy~~ Fluffy, but then he lost a ton of weight, so we Freecycled his fluffy clothes and got him new clothes. Well, while he was off on disability, he got a little fluffy again and a lot of his clothes don't fit.
Thursday night Kerri and I went out for a girls night, had my yummy Vanilla Latte, except Mr.cutie forget to put my cream on top of it, oh well, it was sooooo yummy even without the whipped cream. I will just have to make sure I specifically ask for whipped cream and lot's of it!!!

Friday was a lake day again! Went with Kerri. It hasn't been that busy there lately which is nice. I will put more pics in the Flickr. I just realized that Kerri and I need to do a family group pic!! We've done kid group pics, but not with us Mama's in them!! Next friday Mama!!! Then I will post them. Bill also went and picked up my other find on Freecycle, a mini fridge!! It's actually a cooler that can be plugged into your vehicles lighter outlet and it can keep things cool or warm! It's shaped just like a little fridge, it's really cute! I wanted a mini fridge to keep juice and other drinks in for the kids. I was hoping it would free up some room in the big fridge. Eventually I will find/get a 3.2 cubic mini fridge, but for now, this is perfect!! It had never even been used before!!

Saturday, was cleaning. Trying to get the basement done. Trying to!! As I was about to clean the bathroom downstairs.....I opened the door only to find something out of a Stephen King novel!! There were Flying ants and crawling ants EVERYWHERE!!! EWWWWWWWWW!! I screamed the kids screamed, I'm tripping over all the kids that are behind me as I am trying to shut the door! That was soooo gross! So, that was our fun on Saturday. Thank goodness, flying ants aren't dangerous. They're just creepy!
Bill went and picked up the clothing from Freecycle for Matthew, which thankfully was clean this time!! However, the majority of it was a little too small for Matthew. But, at least there was a few t-shirts and a couple pairs of pants. But oh my!! Some of the little stuff was just sooooo cute!!! So, I will pack that away, you know, for a rainy day!! There was however, two little jackets that will fit him come the fall and even a little fleece Gap hoodie!! see, in the fall or winter months, all the kids have Gap hoodies that they wear out, to keep warm AND to create a unified look out in public and now Matthew has his very own!!!

Yesterday, Bill decided he would BBQ supper for us!! Hurray! I didn't have to cook, other than a pasta dish for the side. We did burgers and hotdogs.....hmmmmmmm......there are leftovers, might go get me a burger for breakfast!!LOL Robbie had received some $$$ for his birthday from Nana and Papa, so Bill took him over to Toys R Us so he could pick out something. of course, he chose a Transformer and a Spiderman figurine.

On the plans for this week: GROCERIES!! It'll only be a itty bit, but hey, it's something!!LOL I will put up my menu's and lists on the other blog in just a little bit. I'm just finishing up making menu's based on what is on sale at ~~Stupidstore~~ Superstore. Lake Day again on Friday!!
Then it's a long weekend!!! Three whole days with daddy!!

I can't believe the summer is almost half over!! Although, I'm not THAT disgruntled over it, LOL, that means it's closer to the fall!!! It has been sooooo hot here, ok I know that my Southern readers will laugh but when we're hitting 31-33 degrees Celsius and add on 60-70% humidity makes it feel like we're at 37-38 degrees Celsius!! So that's what, somewhere in the 90's in Fahrenheit?!?!
Today and the next few days are supposed to be around the mid 20 mark, much more tolerable!! It looks as though it may even try to rain/thunder storm!! WOOT!!
I think with the temps being a bit lower, I will try to get 3 or 4 dozen muffins baked and maybe a couple dozen cookies!! I would like to make some oatmeal cookies.We'll see what I can get done!!

Have a blessed Monday!!
~Penny

Just For Fun: mom Survey

2007-07-25T14:50:00.000-06:00

stole this from: dreabecraft520 Blog from maya's mom.

1. How long have you been a mom?
Since November 1996

2. Girl? Boy? Both?
Both, 3 girls and 3 boys

3. How many children call you mommy?
six

4. Did you know what you were having?
Yup, everytime! Mama intuition told me and then an ultrasound. Except in the case of baby number 3 (Robbie) i was convinced he was a girl until 37weeks!!LOL

5. How old were you when you became a mom?
2 mos past my 18th birthday

6. How long were you in labor?
Altogether I have been in labour for about 47hrs give or take

7. What was your least favorite thing about labor?
the medical atmosphere and the un-comfy beds

8. Do you plan on having more kids?
oooooooh, don't even tempt me!1 I would soooo Love more

9. Does daddy change diapers?
He has only changed a handful. Not one from Matthew yet!!

10. How many times have you been peed on?
A handful of times, mostly from my first boy!!LOL

11. Barfed on?
Waaaayyyyyy too many times to count!!LOl

12. Is your child named after anyone?
Yup, all the boys are

13. When your child gets in trouble, who is the bad guy?
pretty equal between hubby and I

14. Who is the good guy?
usually it's me

15. What is the longest you have been away from your children?
12-24 hrs, only to have a baby!!

16. Kids' bedtime routine?
After dessert I start showers/baths for everyone (usually goes in order of youngest to oldest) then jammies, then teeth, then story/prayers, then lights out.
This all happens from about 7pm-9:30pm

17. Are your toes painted?
I always have my toes pink in the spring/summer and red in the fall/winter

18. Last movie you saw in the theater?
The Illusionist

19. Last time you had a date?
When Bill and I went to see above movie, I believe it was Sept 1st2006

20. One thing you gave up now that you are a mom?
I guess the freedom to do as I please, it's tough though because I always wanted to be a Mama I don't feel like I actually gave up anything!!LOL

21. One thing you will not give up just because you are a mom?
Trying to dress stylish and look presentable for my hubby

22. The worst thing I have done as a mom?
I fell asleep with Mariah in my arms when she was about 3days old and dropped her!! Thankfully she was swaddled in thick blankets and my legs were out stretched so she kind of rolled down, but I felt terrible!!I'm sure there are a few more that I can't think of right now

23. The stupidest thing I've done as a mom?
Listening to what other people said when my first was a baby and even with my second, when I should have really just kept going with what my Mama intuition was telling me. They both would've most likely nursed longer and so much more!!

24. The best thing I have done as a mom?
I am able to forgive myself for my mistakes and learn from them and I try to set an example of how I want them to be as adults and I always say sorry when I am wrong or done wrong.

God bless, Penny

Catching Up!!

2007-07-24T09:19:00.000-06:00

I have been so busy these last few days! Where to start....
Excuse the bullet form post!!LOL
-Matthews rash is completely gone, and he is all better, it completely cleared up on Saturday. It was Roseola. So I guess in a sense I was wrong (not to completely push all the blame on the doctor, since I DID say that Mariah had already HAD Roseola) At least now they're both done!!LOL Personally, I would rather have them be babies when they get it, Mariah seemed much more uncomfortable with it.

-Robbie had his 7th birthday on Thursday!! My Grandma and Great Grandma came and we had cupcakes and Ice cream cones. Grandma also brought some outdoor toys (A Rugby set and a Golf set....she really enjoys payback!!)There are pics in the Flickr!

-Friday LAKE DAY!! We met up with Kerri and her kiddo's at the lake. Lot's of fun again. I swear this is what is making the summer bearable!!LOL Knowing that on Friday the kids will play and Kerri and I can visit!!LOL If only they had a Starbucks or Timmy's there.............

-Saturday Bill went and picked up a Ginormous lot of stuff from Freecycle for me!! So I spent the day re-organizing/cleaning my kitchen. I had over 8 boxes of 'stuff' to unpack!! The clothing was nasty...ewwwww!!! i don't understand why someone would do that. I was hoping to find some clothing for my little man (see below) who has next to no wardrobe!!LOL There were 3 bags and he had said there was some ladies clothing but he didn't want to sort through it (no problem, it was his Ex) Let's just say I was actually nervous to put my hand in the bag!!LOL But I managed to get two t-shirts for Matthew, thankfully they took a bleaching nicely!!LOL These people were not the most cleanest, but hey, that is why there is bleach!!

So all in all, I got some new pots and Tupperware and some other dishes and my kitchen is organized. There was also a whole bunch of cutlery, which I REALLY needed!! So then I turned around and Freecycled what I couldn't use and some stuff that was in my cupboards that I haven't used forever. (like a two person indoor grill?? small pans??)

I also cleaned out some clothing that I had that doesn't fit the kids and doesn't belong to anyone AND won't sell as well some of my clothes that I usually alternate between donating and Freecycling.
So all in all between yesterday and the day before I got rid of 3 garbage bags and four boxes!!

Now this week, the kids and I have been busy cleaning and organizing the basement. I'm hoping to come across a play kitchen, play house and the like on Freecycle. I would love to find a table and chairs set too. I want to turn the basement area into an area with 'centers' for play set up. like a housekeeping center, a media center, etc. But, I need to find the toys first!!LOL You'd think with having 6 kids my house would be over run with toys, but it's not. It's why they get so excited when stuff gets passed down to them!!LOL Of course, I do get some mommy-guilt with that, should I be buying my kids toys?? But, I don't. They like to spend their allowance at Value Village once in awhile, Bill and I get them one toy for their birthday and then about a month before Christmas we go through all their toy's and they all usually donate a small box to either freecycle or goodwill.

We also organized the girls room again. I moved both Kayla's and Alyssa's dressers into my laundry room and then put a shelf in their room. Gives them more space and makes it easier for me to put their clothes away. I'm hoping it will somewhat eliminate the clothing issues that kept happening, dirty clothing and clean clothing getting mixed up!!

So, over the next little while I am hoping to finish the basement and hopefully, prayerfully, have it set up as a nice play area(C'mon Freecycle!!!)!! Then before I know it, it'll be time to start cleaning and organizing the homeschool area!! We don't have a startdate until about sept.10th or at least sometime that week!!LOL

Tonight, I think Kerri and I are going out for coffee! Maybe I will embarrass her and take pics!!LOL *giggle*
This is supposed to be grocery week, but I don't think it'll be happening. We are still waiting for Bill's ~~dumb~~ ~~stupid~~ EX employer to give his holiday pay to him. So we'll see!! Prayers!!

Speaking about prayer and believing that the Lord will provide, the clothing that I got on the weekend for Matthew just well, wasn't. So I was bummed, but thought God will provide a way. So then last night I was checking my email and there was a post on Freecycle for a big lot of baby boys clothing. I figured it was taken since it had been posted a while before I saw it. It wasn't and now Bill can pick it up on saturday!!! I hope it's nice, I think it is, she sounds like a regular Mama and said that she really loved some of the stuff in there. Hopefully!

Friday is another lake day!!Woot!!

well, time to get going on today!!
have a blessed Tuesday!
~Penny

The Doctor was wrong

2007-07-18T10:56:00.000-06:00

I had already come to this conclusion partially last night, when Mariah began scratching her butt cheek...ummmmm I don't put bugspray/sunscreen on her butt cheeks!!LOl Then come this morning, the decision was final, I know for a fact she was wrong, why?!?!
take a look at this!

Poor Matthew, the rash claims it's second victim!

This is exactly how Mariah's looked on Sunday when she woke up, resembles a heat rash. This is Matthew now...so I would say it's a fairly accurate assumption that this is a virus related rash. Now which one, I don't know!! Anyone got any ideas? It's an itchy one and the spots are raised and some have 'pimply' tops while others are just bumps. The good news is that there doesn't seem to be any other symptoms, no fever or anything! Mariah has been vaccinated against Measles (although I now it's not 100%) Where as Matthew has not (not until he's 12mos).
Here's what I know it's not:
-chicken pox (I wish!!)
-Roseola
-Scarlet fever (no sore throats, although dr did say to keep an eye out for peeling hands/feet and a strawberry tongue)
-Hand, Foot, and Mouth (ruled out by dr, but not by me. However there are no 'blisters' on Mariah's hands or feet or in her mouth.)
*sigh* There are so many virus's that cause a rash, so really, who knows. I just hate having the kids with something and not knowing what it is!!! I like answers!!LOL
I'm curious to see if anyone else will get it, or if it will stay with the youngers?!?! time will tell!!

Well, it's been a long day so far, besides a grumpy itchy baby and pre-schooler. Everyone was up SUPER early this morning thanks to a HUGE thunderstorm.

Have a blessed Wednesday!
~Penny

Sometimes my Kids Amaze Me

2007-07-17T09:23:00.000-06:00

Okay, so sometimes they amaze me in a negative way!!LOl However this time it was positive, one of those moments where you think to yourself "hmmm, maybe I do do something right every now and again"

Mariah is not allowed outside right now, most likely just for today to let her rash heal. However, the other kids are allowed outside. I was actually dreading the scene that would entail should the older four venture outside only to leave the lone rash girl inside. Oh how there would be screams, yells. Items would be thrown, the injustice would be unimaginable!! Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that. They all decided that since Mariah wasn't allowed outside, that none of them would go outside because ya know, it just wouldn't be fair Mom!!! As I sat waiting for some sort of ultimatum or other, there was nothing and off they went.

However, all things comes with a cost! My living room is currently being taken apart. There are cushions everywhere, toys all over.....ugh! Ah well, perhaps the lesson of empathy is much more at front here than a messy living room!!

I on the other hand, have many things to get done today. Laundry, vacuuming, dishes...oh, don't I do that everyday?!?!!?

well, I suppose getting that done would be much more efficient if I were to remove my butt from in front of this screen and get going!!LOL
Have a blessed Tuesday!!
~Penny

~A Day in the Life at Our House~

Time for Change!

I *HEART* Salma Hayek!!

How it's Made...Formula!

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm......

F~R~E~E~Z~I~N~G

Finding calm in chaos

Updating....again!!

Updates!!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy Monday!!

Announcing our newest arrival.......

Freaky Friday

So Do You Wanna Know?????????????

It's Tuesday.........

Recipes, Answers and Updates!!

Mish Mash of Mush 'n' Muddle

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!!!!

It's Monday, It's September...............

The Magic of Milk....Mama's Milk that is!!!!

ThirteenThankful Things for Thursday :o)

Hurray!!!! It's *FINALLY* September!!!

Doctors Update

Recalled!!

Money..Money....Money

Busy, busy...............

Anniversary Week

Thinking of Going Organic......Here's the Lo Down

Heard in My House Today and it's only 8am

Survey Says..............................

On My Mind................

It's a Crazy, Busy Week!!!

Just Passing the Time

Halfway There!!!

Happy Friday!

Got Milk?

A Freebie to Share

oh my!!! Too Funny!!

Happy Friday!!!

More good stuff to win!!!

Win A WHOLE STASH babywearing mama's!!!

Something Fun......

I'm Baaaack!!

A Photo Kind of Meme

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Time for a Change!

Simple Woman's Daybook

T.G.I.F

Simple Woman's Daybook

The Official Annoucement!

You MUST watch this.......

It's Monday Already??

Bite Back!

Aptitude Test

Our Prayers Have Been Answered!!!

A Must See and a Must Play

60 minutes...YOU can do it!

Helllooooo!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Relaxing Sunday

Let it snow.......

Hiatus

It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

Silent Night, Holy Night

Something Fun!!

Babywearing Makes the News!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!

Feeling Rather Nostalgic

Howdy!!

Love It!!!!

Miss me?!?!

The Return

Prayer For Beverly

The time has arrived for my yearly stock-up on.....

Works For Me Wednesday

There are surprises everywhere....sometimes

I'm so glad I'm not the only one....

Happy Friday!!

Works For Me Wednesday

Some Good Advice

I HEART Salma Hayek!!

Hurray!!!! It's FINALLY September!!!